NEWS ANCHORS:

Anchors are also called presenters or hosts.  These are people who
come in front of the camera and introduce a news item. Earlier these
people were called News Readers but this nomenclature has
changed with the roles of anchors changing over the years. 
Nowadays all anchors are expected to be journalists and not just read
news.  Hence they are also expected to interview and cross question
guests in the studio. They analyze, interpret, and broadcast
news received from various sources. News anchors present
news stories and introduce videotaped news or live
transmissions from on-the-scene reporters. Newscasters at
large stations may specialize in a particular field.
Weathercasters, also called weather reporters, report current and
forecasted weather conditions. They gather information from
national satellite weather services, wire services, and local
and regional weather bureaus. Some weathercasters are
trained atmospheric scientists and can develop their own weather
forecasts. Sportscasters, who are responsible for reporting
sporting events, usually select, write, and deliver the sports
news for each newscast. Anchors read news items and
provide other information, such as program schedules and
station breaks for commercials or public-service information.
Traditional tapes and CDs are used only as backups in case
of a computer failure. Announcers and disc jockeys need a
good speaking voice.

The Job of a News Anchor

At the networks the TV news anchors present the news. You

know the people -- the ones sitting there behind a desk (or
in the field) telling you what’s happening in the world that
day. Whether broadcasting from a small local station or
manning one of the network’s primetime broadcasts, TV
news anchors compile news stories and deliver them.

Being a news anchor requires a number of skills, the first of

which is a comfort in front of the camera. There’s an
element of show business in the job of a news anchor -- not
only do you need to be comfortable in front of the camera
but you need to make people want to watch you. The latter
may not be something you can learn but, certainly, gaining
comfort speaking to the camera is a skill you can hone.

A news anchor also needs to be able to think on his feet.

While many anchors will read scripts -- off of a teleprompter
or notes on their desk -- information can also be transmitted
aurally. If news is breaking information may be fed to an
anchor on the spur of the moment from a producer. The
anchor needs to be able to listen to what’s happening and
then relay the information to the audience in a clear and
concise manner. How to Get a Job As an Anchor

Anchors need to get time in front of the camera. Most jobs

are gotten with a tape, or a sample of your work on-air.
Before you look for a job as an anchor, you need to have
done an internship at a local station (and gotten some time
on-air), or studied communications in college.

Once you have a tape, you should start looking for jobs at
local stations. Many anchors work their way up from small
broadcasts to bigger ones. (There are local news broadcasts
in many cities and, often, the bigger the city the more
competitive the job.) There are also myriad opportunities
on-air at the various cable news channels.