A news analyst, also referred to as a newscaster or news anchor, is a broadcast journalist who works for a television or radio station. He or she hosts a news show and verbally relays current events to a viewing or listening audience. This person may introduce video or audio clips from reporters who are live at the scene of a developing news story. The length of time an analyst is on-air can vary greatly; for example, some analysts can have half-hour time slots once a day, while others have five minute segments every hour for eight hours.
Depending on the location and size of a broadcast station, the duties of news analysts jobs can differ significantly. One who works for a small, local broadcast station may be responsible for additional duties compared to another who is employed at a large, national broadcast station. Local broadcast analysts may be required to research and write the news copy they reads on-air, as well as report on weather and sports. National broadcast anchors generally only read news reports that are researched and written by other journalists, and will have meteorologists and sportscasters to cover weather and sports.
The nature of the television or radio news program that a news anchor works for can also affect his or her job duties. At times, a news analyst may also interview guests on his or her show. Additionally, he or she might host and mediate a panel discussion, such as a political debate with several participants. To have a successful career, a person will typically have to possess some subjective qualities; for instance, he or she needs a pleasant voice and likable personality for radio broadcasting, as well as a groomed appearance for television work. Other qualities needed to perform this job successfully include having a proper grasp on his or her language, clear pronunciation and diction, and a wide range of knowledge on politics, business, sports, and other current events.
A newscaster must know how to read news in a specific time frame to ensure all news gets delivered within a show’s allotted time. He or she also improvises and makes quick decisions, such as how to handle equipment malfunction or to deal with interviews that turn uncomfortable or problematic. News careers have the potential of long hours and strict deadlines due to the development of major news stories, so a news analyst may have to be on call to deliver a news story with little notice or no preparation. Generally, these careers are available anywhere in the world that has broadcasting; however, jobs at national broadcast stations are the most competitive for analysts to obtain.