What are the responsibilities and job description for the News Anchor position at Urban One?
Position: News Anchor
Mandate: To competently* and professionally* anchor and report news in the studio or in the field, gather story information and deliver live on-air newscasts, as well as recorded and written reports.
Main Responsibilities:
- News
- Administration
- Self Management
- Professional Development
Objectives (by Responsibility)
News
- Know the news stories of the day (local, state, national, international).
- Provide in-house anchoring and reporting in a journalistically objective manner.
- Gather story information, write and deliver live or recorded newscasts.
- Contribute story ideas.
- Be aware of legal issues relating to news gathering, delivery and editorial content.
Administration
- Write, edit, prepare and conduct live and recorded newscasts in a journalistically objective manner, often on tight deadlines.
- Gather story information by phone, wire, internet and field reporters.
- Work with Program Director on delivery of content to follow the format clock
- Interact with talk shows as part of an on-air ensemble team
- Write, edit, prepare, and post written news articles for station’s digital platforms
- Develop contacts and sources for stories.
Self Management
1. To ensure that appropriate Self-Management is exercised at all times, as it applies to the overall function and specifically as it relates to:
- Overall Professionalism
- Judgement
- Propriety
- Dress code (should be consistent with your job function, including appropriate grooming)
- Confidentiality (at all times)
- Managing Emotions (Emotional Maturity and control in all situations)
- Taking Initiative (may include taking risks)
- Being self-directed
- Accepting responsibility
- Being accountable
- Self-critiquing
- Accepting and growing with others Critique
- Being objective (issue relevant)
- Building and maintaining workable relationships
- Suspending judgment (when relevant)
- Not discriminating
- Being accepting rather than judgmental (when appropriate)
- Allowing others their feelings
- Extending common courtesies
- Behaving out of a sense of urgency (when appropriate)
- Striving for Balance
- Appropriately delegating
- Evolving self-awareness
- Problem Solving and Decision Making (within scope of the function)
Professional Development
- To attend all relevant skill building workshops as requested.
- To stay current with all relevant industry information as it applies to the overall job responsibility.
- To drive your own Performance Appraisal every six months.
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each main responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Education and/or Experience
Bachelor's degree, preferably in Journalism or Communications. Must have newsroom experience and at least 3 years of anchor experience or an equivalent combination of education.
Other Skills and Abilities
Computer literate, expertise using audio editing software and broadcast equipment, highly organized, excellent public relations skills. Ability to write, edit and organize stories. Must have the ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
Language Skills
Ability to read and interpret documents such as news content. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Writing Skills
Have good writing skills, the ability to write quickly, organizational skills and the ability to work in a team environment.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to talk or hear.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
- Professionalism is described as being consistently appropriate in all situations and at all times.
- Competence is defined as using “effectiveness and efficiency” in equal measure at all times.
