Anchoring is an extremely challenging aspect of journalism. This is because it involves doing several different things simultaneously – guiding the flow of a discussion, keeping track of time-limits, maintaining the link between the studio and the PCR, and above all, appearing confident and in control. It is therefore a combination of coordination and presentation.
There are mainly two kinds of anchoring, namely news anchoring and programme anchoring. Of these, programme anchoring is more challenging as it is more creative and the anchor cannot always fall back upon a script.
The following principles need to be kept in mind for effective anchoring of programmes.
1. The choice of anchor must be dictated by the nature of the programme. If the programme is a serious discussion-based show, then the anchor must preferably be someone senior and experienced and someone who can handle a discussion with experts. For example, in a political discussion-based programme, an anchor like Vikram Chandra of NDTV or Rajdeep Sardesai of CNN-IBN is among the best choices. On the other hand, if it is a light, entertainment-oriented show, then someone younger with a pleasing, attractive personality is preferable.
2. The anchor must not just be someone who is good-looking but must be knowledgeable about the subject of the show. This applies even to light, entertainment-based shows.
3. The anchor must do his or her research on the subject of the show beforehand. This is important, because the anchor is supposed to lead the discussion.
4. A thorough command over language, vocabulary, and word-usage is absolutely essential for an anchor, since anchoring is a profession, which involves extensive speaking.
5. Similarly, clear enunciation and good pronunciation is indispensable for an anchor.
6. A good anchor therefore regularly practices voice and pronunciation exercises, to develop his or her ability to speak clearly, with the right emphasis and to project one’s voice if needed.
7. A good voice and a pleasing personality are valuable assets for an anchor.
8. An anchor must be confident and have great presence of mind. He or she must not suffer from stage fright and must be able to pay attention to several things at the same time. These include the remarks made by the audience, the instructions sent from the PCR which the anchor can hear through an ear-piece) and the content and flow of the discussion.
9. The anchor must recognize that for all practical purposes, he or she is a public figure and the face of the organization he/she works for. The anchor must therefore refrain from any activity, public or private, which can bring the organization into disrepute.
Qualities of a News Anchor
The role of the main anchor needs to be divided equally between the community and the newsroom. Main anchors should be mentors and they should have done just about every job in the newsroom, but more than that, they should be willing to share their experience with anyone willing to learn.
A main anchor should be a repository of historical perspective. He/she should know the problems each town in the market faces, the history and prognosis of those towns and be able to put things into context. This assumes that the path to main anchor in a newsroom begins somewhere other than the top. When the goal of management is to attract viewers with a pretty or flamboyant anchor... one that lacks a solid foundation, you're setting up for a disconnect within the newsroom and with the audience. The reality is many stations don't care.
The main anchor needs to be the most respected, most widely read, most knowledgeable and most experienced person in the newsroom. Still, building and maintaining relationships with the community will at times need to be as much of or more of a priority than reporting. It means becoming a part time journalist and part time Rotarian.
The main anchor should be on a first name basis with every mayor, every police chief, every business leader, every top level educator, every legislator and other significant “official” in the market. They should ride in every parade, kiss every baby, and shake every hand, much like a successful politician. My father-in-law used to be mayor of our town and could be reached by journalists any time, day or night, even going so far as to give local reporters his cell number. The main anchor should be that accessible to people. For those "big J" people reading, this is far from journalism in its truest sense, but I don't think TV news is that anyway this is another debate for a future post. In the end what you have is someone who is an important part of the community... someone who truly has the public's trust and whose work connects all kinds of people.