• News Producer Job Description

    A news producer is a person who organizes and oversees the making of a newscast. A news producer manages a newscast from start to finish, performing tasks such as deciding which stories to include in the newscast, deciding the order of stories in the newscast, writing and proof reading scripts for the news anchor and directing the studio crew and news anchor during the newscast.

    A news producer should be enthusiastic, enquiring, curious, creative, practical, decisive and sociable, and have excellent news judgment and the ability to operate in a fast-paced changing environment. They should also be well organized, good at time management, and able to manage multiple tasks at the same time.

  • What does a News Producer do?

    News producers may do some or all of the following:

    • monitor the wire feeds for potential stories
    • monitor how stories are covered by reporters
    • determine the content of a newscast
    • decide the order of stories in the newscast
    • write and proof read scripts for the news anchor
    • plan and prepare interview segments
    • brief editors to edit videotape/audiotape to fit a given time slot
    • direct the studio crew and anchor during the newscast
    • coordinate and time the newscast
    • plan and manage the news production budget and finance
  • Where does a News Producer work?
  • Working Conditions

    News producers may work long irregular hours including early mornings, evenings, weekends and public holidays. They work in offices and newsrooms, but may sometimes travel for news productions. They may work in conditions that are stressful due to deadlines.

  • What is Required to Become a News Producer ?

    To become a news producer, you will need to have a degree in journalism, mass communication or a related discipline and some years of experience in the news industry.

  • Modules
  • Specializations
  • Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

    News producers need to have:

    • patience
    • courage
    • perceptiveness
    • charisma
    • determination and persistence
    • confidence and assertiveness
    • credibility and dependability
    • courteousness and tactfulness
    • adaptability and versatility
    • good memory
    • good attention to detail
    • good interpersonal skills
    • good judgment and decision making skills
    • good listening and communication skills
    • time management and organizational skills
    • leadership skills
    • computer and technical skills
    • multitasking skills
    • interpersonal skills and the ability to work well in a team
    • news researching skills and the ability to recognize information that will interest their audience
    • the ability to visualize a story
    • the ability to work within a live program environment
    • the ability to enjoy reading fictions, plays and poetry
    • the ability to follow directions and stick to guidelines
    • the ability to work well under pressure and manage stress
    • the ability to accept and respond well to criticism
    • the ability to relate to a wide range of people
    • knowledge of non linear editing software such as Avid
    • knowledge of news room systems such as ENPS or iNews
    • knowledge of media ethics and law
    • knowledge of broadcast production techniques
    • knowledge of budget preparation

References

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Alternative Careers
  • News Anchor
  • News Reporter
  • News Editor
  • Announcer
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