Newsbeat’s Debbie Randle said the three most important qualities in a reporter are being flexible, enthusiastic and nosy . Debbie, a senior broadcast journalist at the BBC Radio 1 news programme, said that to succeed, you have to know your subject inside out and not be afraid to ask challenging questions.
Asking the right questions, and making sure they are exactly what is required, is also important for a reporter.
“You have to think about your audience,” she explained. “There’s no point asking a brain surgeon lots of technical questions if your audience won’t understand.”
Debbie, 33, emphasised the need for planning and writing down questions beforehand, but not to rely on them; instead, letting the conversation follow naturally if the material you are receiving is suitable.
“You can’t be shy or get embarrassed,” Debbie added. “Especially when reporting live, you have to be able to get over any mistakes and carry on.”
Debbie recalled several occasions when she herself made slips of the tongue on air, admitting even the professionals slip up at times.
The reporters are always busy. Even though Newsbeat only airs two fifteen-minute programmes a day on the station, it provides half-hourly news bulletins in addition to a large amount of web content. Good time management, then, is essential; the amount of interviews sometimes means a very tight schedule and a very long day.
It takes a lot to make a good reporter, but good advice is the first stepping stone to becoming one.
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