Most Important Skills for a TV News Anchor at ABC7 News KGO-TV
Kristen from ABC7 News KGO-TV emphasizes that strong communication skills, both written and oral, are crucial, along with being engaging and authentic, as viewers can detect insincerity, and also suggests that being "calm under pressure" and poised are vital qualities developed through experience, learning from mistakes, and realizing that "the world didn't collapse." Furthermore, Kristen points out the importance of grammar, being well-read and informed about both local and global events, having empathy, and genuinely caring about the world to effectively report on sensitive stories.
Communication Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Current Events, Writing, Professionalism
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kristen Sze
TV News Anchor
ABC7 News KGO-TV
UC Berkeley
Political Science, American Studies
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Communication skills (both writing and oral) are very important for being a TV News Anchor.
2. Authenticity and the ability to be engaging are crucial, as people connect with genuine personalities.
3. Being well-read, well-informed, and empathetic are key to reporting effectively, especially when covering sensitive topics.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
What skills are most important for a job like yours? I'll keep this short, as I've touched on it a bit already. Communication skills are very important, both in writing and orally.
The ability to be engaging and authentic is key because people connect with that. They can tell if you're faking a personality and not being yourself. You want to be calm under pressure and poised.
I do think those qualities develop over time. I can't say the first time I went on TV in New York, I was very calm or poised. If something went wrong, I might have panicked. But once you make mistakes and overcome them, you learn the world didn't collapse. You learn to keep going, minimize panic, and develop poise.
So, for writing, make sure your grammar is good. I think that's often forgotten these days, a kind of lost art, but it is so important. You want to be well-read and well-informed, keeping up with what's going on in the world, both in your specific area and the bigger picture.
You want to be well-versed, a student of history and current events. And I think being an empathetic person is important; you genuinely care about the world around you. It's hard to report on things or talk to people who have lost their homes if you can't be empathetic. So, I think those are the most important skills to do this job well.