Dream Job: Newscaster

By Jessica Melcher

What do they do?

Their smiling faces present us with the news or weather each day. They scurry to the scene as soon as they can when there is an unexpected story to cover. They interview guests live on the set and provide insight on news events.

What skills are needed?

Most importantly, newscasters need to be photogenic, fashionable, and perfectly groomed. They need to withstand a highly competitive environment. The must be able to public speak and connect with the audience. Above all, they must be loud and entertaining for people to watch.

And the basic skills?

Newscasters must know reading, math, writing, speaking and listening, computer literacy, problem-solving and decision-making, working with people, a strong work ethic, understanding the broader picture, a positive attitude, independence and initiative, and self-presentation.

Preferred Education?

Students need to gain experience while they are in college by working at campus radio or TV stations. They should look for an internship at a commercial station during the summer. Students need to check out the success rate of the graduates before enrolling in a broadcasting university.

What about the wages?

Very few newscasters can make over one million dollars a year. The salaries the average overall newscaster is at a median of $49,000. In the big markets, the overall median wages is more around $155,000. Newscasters generally earn more in television than in radio and more in commercial than in public broadcasting.

What are the specializations?

Newscasters generally specialize in either radio or television work. Reporters can specialize in "beats"--particular topics like sports, weather, finance, crime, entertainment, politics or science and technology

Back-Up Job: Journalist

By Jessica Melcher

What do they do?

Journalism is a discipline of collecting, analyzing, verifying, and presenting news regarding current events, trends, issues, and people. Journalists must record important events, producing news articles on short deadlines. Journalists are judged on their quality, accuracy, and style of their articles.

What skills are needed?

Journalists need to be quick and accurate. They need to always be ready to interview anyone. They need to know their own deadlines and be able to finish by then. Journalists must have their stories be fun and entertaining for the public to enjoy

And the basic skills?

The basic skills are that journalists need to have great communication skills. They need to know how to give a great interview by not being annoying. They have to have a good memory to remember most everything that was said or have extremely quick hands to write it all down.

Preferred Education?

The more experience, the better. The schools made to train journalists are highly competitive. Some come out with a newspaper once a week and others more often than that. You will be a better target to hire if you have any experience with a school newspaper or a journalism class.

What about the wages?

The wages of a journalist depends on how high-ranking the news corporation you are working for is. If you work for a small-town newspaper station, you can maybe make $13.00 an hour. If you work for a well-known station in a big city you can make more around $24.00 an hour.

What are the specializations?

Journalists report and write on a wide variety of subjects: politics on the international, national, provincial and local levels, economics and business on the same four levels, health and medicine, education, sports, hobbies and recreation, lifestyles, clothing, food, pets, sex and relationships....

So overall…?

I am really interested in current events so I would like my future job to rest in the hands of news casting or journalism!