Broadcast Journalism alumna (’09) and reporter for KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lauren Rozyla, spoke to journalism students and provided the following helpful tips on creating a great broadcast reel:

Standup Example:

 

A proper and professional demo reel is essential for getting a job in the broadcast journalism field.  Emerging journalists will most likely end in smaller markets and work their way up.  Throughout that time you will be adding to and developing an even more professional reel of your work.  While you are still in school, internships are ESSENTIAL!  Use footage from those experiences as well.

• A one-minute montage is a great way to start a reel – it should be small snippets of you on camera either out in the fled or doing something in a stand-up.   Any live shots you have should also be incorporated.

One-Minute Montage Examples

• Incorporate small snippets of anchoring, weather, entertainment reporting and sports shows that you are multi-faceted, and can do anything!
• Packages are full-length stories and you want to start with the “hard news” piece first – and make sure its no longer the 1:30.

What to wear, what to wear…. Yes!  What you wear DOES matter!  Most small markets are conservative, so women you will want to wear a blazer especially at the anchor desk.  Avoid trendy clothing, dangly earrings and sleeveless shorts or dresses.  Solid colors with minimal patterns work best.

For men, you should own at least one suit jacket that fits you well with a simple tie.  Smaller markets tend to be more conservative then CNN, MSNBC, etc. – so until you are there you need to dress the part.

Finally, here are some newsy definitions:

Hard News: This is a protest, controversial campus issue, anything that needs crows control.

Feature: A story on a person with a unique talent, an emotional profile, unique school club, etc.