How to Become a Television Reporter

Internships

Most television news reporters/anchors have worked for free at some point early in their career. A good internship is the best possible way to build your resume tape, and the ideal internship will allow you to do some actual reporting. 

Internships differ in length — some last three months, while others may last up to one year, or until you land a paying job in the industry. If the news director likes you, your internship will likely last longer.

Be aware that in some internships at stations in big cities or networks you will be merely a “gopher,” with no chance of getting any reporting experience. Interning at a network might seem exciting, but it probably won’t help you build the all-important resume tape: your key to getting hired.

“Internships are really critical. Few schools are turning out applicants who are ready to get into their first jobs.”
   – Gary Gunter, KRCR-TV News Director
      Redding, California

That means you must learn how to shoot a video camera, edit tape, write and report. An internship at a small station located near you will give you a much better chance to do some actual reporting, plus it will provide a more realistic picture of 
your future working conditions. Very few people land their first job in a large newsroom. 

“A lot of kids make a big mistake by going to big markets and getting an internship. Go to the very smallest station you can find. You might even get to anchor one night.”
   – Dave Kirby, former news director in six 
      small-to-medium-sized markets

Finding an Internship

If you are in school, one of the best ways to get a good internship is through your college program. Most quality broadcast journalism programs either have their own campus radio or TV stations or provide students access to a local cable station or news bureau.

TIP:  Even if you work for a campus TV station, try to get an internship at a professional station. You need to see how a real newsroom functions before you start applying for jobs in one. Most campus stations do not operate under the same deadline constraints and structure as professional broadcast stations.

If you’re not a student, apply to the small stations closest to you. Policies on internships vary with each station, but most small stations need help and they’ll gladly take it for free. Make sure that you will be getting the hands-on experience you want before you agree to work for them. 

The Stations

Chances are you live near at least three network affiliate stations, maybe even four. These stations run programming from CBS, NBC, ABC or FOX, and are tied to their network through a contract. Most (with a few exceptions) are not owned by their network, but by big media companies like the New York Times, or a local group or family. Most also run their own local news programs. 

Internship opportunities will vary at the affiliate stations depending on the size of the station. Actually, the bigger the station, the greater the opportunity for an internship existing, but as mentioned previously the odds that you’ll get an on-camera internship here are very small. Most major market internships involve getting coffee for anchors, running Teleprompters or delivering video tapes. 

The only way you can get a resume tape out of this type of internship is to convince some nice photographer to help you make a “dummy” tape. This means your story will never air, but you can demonstrate how you would perform in front of a camera. Weekends, which are usually understaffed, will be your best chance to shoot a practice resume tape.

Many larger stations also have strict policies or union rules against letting interns go out into the field (even for practice), so you may have to be persistent with management to give you an opportunity. Again, it’s best to find a smaller station, where you’ll have a much better chance of doing some actual reporting.

Many cable stations such as WB and UPN are popping up in various-sized markets all over the country. They are not affiliated with any major networks and run syndicated programming or re-runs of popular older shows. Some of them are beginning to add short news briefs to their programming. For a list of their affiliates state-by-state, visit their websites.

In addition, locally owned cable companies sometimes provide news briefs and public access stations where people can produce their own programming. Volunteering to help with one of these programs may be a good opportunity for you to have access to equipment, and even shoot some stories yourself. 

The pay at cable companies or cable stations in smaller cities usually isn’t enough to attract someone with much experience, so cable may give you a chance to try your skills in front of the camera.

Most stations, even the smaller ones, now have their own websites, complete with bios on anchors and reporters who work there. Assignmenteditor.com provides direct links to numerous stations across the country. 

Find a station you’d like to work for and check out the backgrounds of the people who have jobs there. 

• What school did they attend? 
• Where did they intern? 
• Where did they get their first on-air job? 

Professional Organizations

Some professional organizations also offer internships.  A number of internships are available for minority students as part of an ongoing effort to attract more people of color into broadcasting. A few of the better-known organizations offering internships and scholarships include the following (visit their websites to learn more):

National Association of Broadcasters

National Association of Black Journalists

Asian-American Journalists Association

National Association of Hispanic Journalists

Minorities in Broadcasting Training Program

American Women in Radio and Television

Society of Professional Journalists

You should apply for an internship in the same way you would for an actual job in TV news, except you probably won’t have a resume tape to help you out. 

Find out who the news director is and send them a creative cover letter and resume (Section 4.6 of this guide will help you put these together). Tell the news director why you are interested in becoming an intern and emphasize your willingness to work any shift, any days and any hours for free! The more enthusiasm you can show, the better.

Even if you have a full-time job that you must keep to meet expenses, you may be able to intern during a night or weekend shift, when the staffing is generally weak. You’ll also get a much better opportunity to cover news stories during these shifts because fewer reporters will be on duty.

A week after you’ve sent your material, call the news director directly (see the hints on when to call in Section 4.7). Ask if you can come by to talk with him or her about internship opportunities. Again, enthusiasm counts. Explain why this has always been your dream job and what you’re willing to do to get it. News directors are looking for interns who will pinch-hit in any situation: answering phones, editing tape, shooting a story and eventually reporting. Tell them that no job is beneath you and you want to learn every aspect of television news.

This article is an excerpt from the fabjob.com How to Become a Television Reporter. Visit www.fabjob.com for information.