In today’s era, as the media landscape has evolved rapidly, so has the role of broadcast journalists. There are now multiple roles as an achor which goes beyond the ambit of traditional broadcast journalism. The rise of social media platforms have given rise to new kinds of anchors, who straddle between short form and long form videos. In fact, one of the most popular example of this is Lallantop, which started as a YouTube channel and its anchor/journalist Saurabh Dwivedi, who created a storm in this world. The channel is part of the India Today Group, currently. So what does it take to be a new-age anchor or a journalist?
It is believed that television news channels have a structured news format which consists of set timings and segments. So, the anchor needs to adapt to the set format and build up the show accordingly. Television has passive viewers who are not able to interact with the journalist, which makes the job of anchors more challenging as they need to talk about almost every touchpoint and make viewers understand. TV anchors also have the responsibility to break news softly, explaining its nuances to the audience. TV anchors mostly use a formal and authoritative tone when presenting a show; they also get the help of teleprompters where a carefully curated script appears for them.
There are over 7,485 news anchors currently employed in the United States, as per Zippia – a market research firm. 51.3% of all news anchors are women, while 48.7% are men. The average news anchor age is 40 years old. The most common ethnicity of news anchors is White (66.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.6%), Asian (9.7%) and Black or African American (6.4%). In 2022, women earned 99% of what men earned. 10% of all news anchors are LGBT. News anchors are 71% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies. The firm claimed to have estimated news anchor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles.
Due to the interactive nature of digital media, digital news channels’ shows are more flexible and interactive. In a world where the number of likes, comments, views, and shares primarily defines the impact of a news story, anchors need to interact with viewers and make them feel like part of the show. It is believed that there are huge numbers of younger users on digital platforms. Keeping this factor in mind, anchors also host shows in more flexible formats using a more relaxed tone. Digital anchoring often allows space for more innovation and spontaneous reaction, which makes the show more friendly for a younger audience. Unlike TV, digital platforms support shorter formats more. So the anchors also prepare stories to gain and retain viewers’ attention quickly.
In recent years, YouTube has also emerged as a platform where people consume news. With the increasing demand for this platform, YouTube anchoring has also become a separate profession. Just like news website videos, YouTube anchoring also demands a more personalised tone from the anchor alongside flexible show formats. It is often noticed that news channels on YouTube work with comparatively smaller teams. So, it often becomes the anchor’s responsibility to research the topics and write scripts too. Not to mention, YouTube anchors have the ability to interact with the audience directly through comments and live chats. This builds a bond between the viewers and the organisation. Unlike TV, YouTube anchoring gets feedback directly from the viewers. Whether it is positive or not, they should accept it and adapt the content and presentation style as per viewers’ preferences.
Even as the two worlds are different and need it anchors to behave in a different manner in front of the camera, at the end of the day what matters is viewer’s attention.
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