2. CHOOSE BETWEEN NETWORK AND LOCAL
So once you've picked up a little experience, you need to decide which TV news pond you'd like to dive into: local stations or the networks. There are a lot more of the locals (over 150 markets with several stations each) than the networks (like 6), so naturally you will be a much bigger fish the more unimportant the place you start.Deciding whether to begin at a network or a local station often revolves around one thing: how badly you want to be on air. There are two career "tracks" in TV news: production and on-air.
The production track involves working your way up to being a producer. Producers are responsible for putting together coverage and building it into a story. Whether it is an entire show or a taped piece that a reporter narrates, producers build the pieces to any news program. They often start as production assistants, fast-forwarding through hours of file footage to find the right shots. The next step is being an associate producer, which usually means fast-forwarding through more tape, until you become a producer.
So if you really want to know just how much (or how little) an on-aire reporter makes then feast your eyes here (and bring a hanky).
But if your desire for mad cash takes a back seat to your yearning for small-town fame, it's not unheard of for recent graduates to be offered jobs as reporters at small stations right out of college. To do that, however, you will need a 'résumé tape.' A résumé tape has examples of stories that you have done, so that the TV station knows what it's getting. There are all sorts of specifics on how to and how not to put one together. TVRundown.com recommends advice on this subject from the long-time consultant Don Fitzpatrick, who offers a comprehensive audition tape guide for $20.00. For a little bit more, you can attend a Master's program in broadcast journalism.
