A news producer manages the content of a television news program, deciding which stories to include, writing scripts, and ensuring accuracy and interest. They must also be able to think on their feet and make split-second decisions.
A news producer manages the content of a television news program. He can also gather news, write scripts, and manage the overall flow of the show. There are no specific educational requirements, but a news producer typically has a college degree.
Deciding which items to include in a newscast may be the most important task a news producer will complete. He or she may meet with editors, news directors and photographers to decide which stories will be used in a program. Together they decide what can be used.
Keeping an eye on news reports and other media is another way for a producer to find content for a news program. Monitoring other news sources can give a news producer’s perspective on how another source covered a story or how another source reported one that the producer did not choose. This part of the job can last all day.
A producer must keep track of all the stories he decides to use. Some stories may fail and new stories may develop. A producer must ensure that all stories expected to be used for the program present the most current information and are portrayed in an interesting and accurate manner.
The news producer must not only decide on the content of a program, but must also write scripts or supervise the creation of scripts for news anchors. The producer will assign anchors to the various stories being covered. The scripts for the anchors will be placed in order, based on the order of the pieces covered in the show.
Ensuring enough video and graphics is another part of what a news producer does. These items make news interesting and help convey additional information about the topic. If video or graphics are not available, the producer must know how to locate the appropriate ones.
The ability to think on your own feet can be an advantage when working as a news producer. Breaking news can happen at any time of the day or a story might not be ready for the show in time. Also, a program can run too long or too short, so content may need to be pulled or added. All of this can require the news producer to make split-second decisions.
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