by April Lajune

Created on: January 20, 2010

Getting a job as a television news reporter isn't as hard as you think with the resources one has in today's society. Although journalism and the ability to report a story is very important, there are two things which make a difference to getting the job.

Those two things are sex appeal and delivery. Before you can submit a resume to a television news station, you'll need a demo tape. This will show the news director how you look on camera and how you deliver the story. Finding someone to help you shoot and edit a story is easy, but knowing what to put in the tape is something else.

Choose three different types of stories. Two should be hard new stories and one should be a "fluff" piece. You can find something timely from your newspaper and turn it into what is called a "package."

A package is a 1:30 - 2 minute video story for the news. Make sure you get at least 10 seconds of all kinds of video. Each video clip should change at least every 1-2 seconds within the story. This means you'll need a lot of clips. Also, do not put yourself in the front or the back of the video. Try to put yourself in the middle somewhere.

For example, you're doing a story about defective tires, you might crouch down next to a tire and say something like, "These tires are just an example of what can happen when manufacturers do not follow Federal Guidelines." This piece can be put anywhere in the middle of your story.

Professional news reporters usually try to put themselves somewhere in the story but not in the very beginning or the end. It's more difficult to put yourself in the middle and you'll look more professional and knowledgeable if you can do your story this way.

Put your two hard news stories in the front followed by the "fluff" piece on the demo tape.

If you're just starting out, smaller markets are easier to break into although if you get this job, be prepared to not only search the news, you'll also have to shoot, edit and might even have more job responsibilities.

Some markets require you to deliver top stories, weather, sports and any fillers since they are extremely tiny. In effect, you're not only the reporter, you're also the news director, the producer, the anchor and the photographer/editor.

When sending in your resume along with your video, make sure to include the News Director's name in your cover letter. Do not make your resume generic. Personalizing your resume lets them know you have researched the station. Producers are usually in charge of segments of news, not the entire broadcast so don't send them your information.

While you're waiting for that on-camera position, you might also submit your resume as a news producer. Medium size to larger markets will sometimes break-in their potential reporters by having them be producers first. It's a good transition and shows you're versatile.

The more you can do, the better off you'll be as a reporter. Many times in the news room, you'll come across people you'll have to help with their stories, shooting or editing just to get the news on the air on time.

Always remember, just because it's journalism and the news, television is about sensationalism and sex. If you can deliver those two things and a great story, you'll have it made as a television news reporter.

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