TV Media: Segments, Careers, Pros And Cons
In the age of breaking news, news channels have become the preferred choice for people entering in the media profession. Most of the prominent news anchors these days were once print journalists working with some newspaper. Owing to their experience in print, they have in-depth knowledge about most issues, making it easy for them to hold discussions on more or less anything.
How Does TV Media Work?
Earlier, news on TV used to run twice or thrice in a day on a national channel. However, with the coming of private news channels, a cycle of 24-hour news began and attracted the audience. Over a period of time, many news channels started broadcasting and multiple job opportunities came up. TV news channels hire across various segments. Let us take a look at each of these job roles and help you understand which of these might be a good fit for you, if you’re looking at working in TV media.
Also Read | Things To Know Before Choosing A Career In The Media
Reporting
No matter what form of media you work for, reporting jobs will be available in every media organisation as reporters are the most integral part of the newsroom. If you like to be the centre of action and are not camera-shy, the job of a TV news reporter might be meant for you. Initially, reporters are asked to collect news bytes from prominent personalities, and with experience, reporters begin working on a particular beat and cultivate sources.
Working In Shifts | While in print media, reporters have the freedom to work as per their time schedules, reporters in TV news channels work in shifts. One must be careful to not get distracted by the glamour that comes with the job and focus on reporting facts. Since most news now breaks on TV, the reporter has to be careful and check the authenticity of the news they are broadcasting.
Sensitivity | Apart from talking about facts, a reporter needs to be sensitive as well. For example, during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, a lot of news channels aired live coverage, giving information about the action taken by Indian forces. This gave advantage to the terrorists, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had to come up with guidelines for live news.
Multitasking | Like a newspaper, TV channels also have reporters covering health, education, crime, infrastructure, sports, business, politics and entertainment, and many-a-times, reporters have to multitask. For example, if a health reporter is on shift and some political development has taken place, they should be able to go live and inform the viewers about that development. That is why basic knowledge of the daily events is a must for a reporter.
Also Read | 5 Careers You Can Pursue In Print Media
Having broad knowledge about current affairs is essential to work in TV Media
Cameraperson
Camerapersons are mostly behind the camera but without them, TV news will lose its charm. One of the most important things that TV news reporters have to keep in mind is that every story needs to have a visual, which is what makes camerapersons an indispensable part of the industry. While basic training is a must for a cameraperson, most of the knowledge comes while working in the field.
However, with the use of mobile cameras, many news channels have stopped hiring camerapersons to cut costs. Reporters are rather asked to shoot videos from the phone. Some, though, still continue to hire for better-quality videos.
It will take time to see what the future holds but the need for video persons is likely to sustain in the near future.
Also Read | 9 Tips To Do Ground Research Before Choosing A Career
Video Editing
Like a newspaper requires someone to sit in an office, shorten and bring precision to the report filed by reporters, TV channels also require someone with the same skill set. However, for becoming a video editor, apart from having a nose for news, the person should be hands-on with the softwares that are used to edit the videos and embed text in-between.
Sometimes, videos shot by reporters and camerapersons could be, let's say, an hour- long, and the job of the video editor would be to convert it into a two-minute story.
Good thing is that video editors are required not only by news channels but also by many other industries who shoot videos for promotion. It could be a production company that shoots and edit documentaries, or even a film production house.
So, if you have the skill, there will be unlimited opportunities, not only in journalism but also in fields beyond that.
Anchoring
This is one job which is attracting young talent to journalism, primarily because of the glamour attached to it. In the recent past, TV news channels have emerged as the fastest way to access news but have now been overtaken by social media. This has made TV media a preferred choice for youngsters looking for a career in the media. The job requires a lot of attention, sometimes round-the-clock awareness, and also the ability to absorb pressure.
Also check | 5 Questions You Must Ask Your Career Counsellor
While glamour might be the added attraction, one must be confident enough to tackle any question in front of the camera. That confidence comes from having knowledge, and knowledge, in turn, comes from reading. Having broad knowledge about current affairs is essential to work in TV.
However, it is advisable to spend time in the field for about 5-7 years before looking to take up the role of an anchor.
The author is Editor with a leading English newspaper and wishes to remain anonymous.
Articles
Explore Career Options (By Industry)
Copy Writer
In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism, Advertising, Marketing Management. Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook.
Journalist
In a career as a journalist, individuals inform the common people about the happenings around the world. A journalist's job involves questioning the government's decisions and for this reason, the media is given that kind of authority. Being a journalist is a job that involves a lot of news gathering, and fact-checking which can ideally bring about a qualitative change in society.
Students can pursue Journalism, Mass Communication to opt for a journalism career path. Here, in this article, we will discuss career opportunities for communicators and journalists, journalism career paths, how to become a journalist in India, the highest-paying jobs in journalism, and alternative careers for journalists.
Publisher
A career as a publisher is one of the most revered careers in the media industry. It is a high-pressure job. A publisher gives direction to where the publication wants to head in terms of content. A publisher offers the chance and space for advertisers to display commercials in their applications or on web pages.
A publisher is required to not only plan but also execute key ideas that could be beneficial for the publishing house. He or she is responsible for all aspects of a publication from development to distribution of the book, newspaper and journal. In this article, we will discuss how to become a publisher in India, skills, and Publisher eligibility.
Vlogger
In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion.
Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article.
Editor
An editor reviews and refines written content for clarity, accuracy, and consistency across various platforms. They collaborate with writers, ensure quality, and often begin their careers as content writers or assistants. Key skills include language proficiency, attention to detail, and time management. Editors work in publishing, media, and digital spaces, typically holding degrees in English, journalism, or communications.
Public Relation Executive
Public Relations (PR) Executives play a crucial role in shaping the public image of celebrities and brands. They strategically develop, implement, and monitor communication strategies to ensure maximum positive exposure in local, national, and international markets. By orchestrating media coverage, PR executives aim to keep their clients in the public eye, fostering a lasting presence in people's minds and effectively promoting products and personalities.
Social Media Manager
Social media managers are in charge of speaking on behalf of a business on social media as the only voice of the brand. They make material, organise campaigns, and reply to comments. These specialists offer firms the direction they need to improve their internet presence.
Career as a social media manager includes looking after the social media profiles of companies and trying to increase business with the help of social networking sites. Social media marketing managers work for organisations to make money through social media other than being an influencer on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
With the help of social media managers skills and social media managers' jobs, it is possible to help brands and companies to build their presence and reputation on social media. Career as a social media manager involves representing brands, companies, and individuals across all social media channels. Career as a social media marketing manager keeps you away from monotonous work as every product or service you work on needs to be approached differently.
Linguist
Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).
Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French, German, Italian.