Olivia Michael wholeheartedly loves her profession as a news anchor as each day brings a new excitement to the news desk. She is constantly out-and-about—detailing drafts, inquiring interviews, reporting rendezvouses and connecting with citizens- all instrumental in orchestrating that her on-air musical stays in-tune.
In the broadcast industry, it is no longer acceptable to have a one-way exchange from news anchor to viewer in the newsroom. Journalists are expected to be viewers themselves, reading and connecting with viewers through comments, social media and digital platforms—just like Michael does.
“Everything we do is with the viewer in mind and that’s how we stay connected with them,” Michael assured.
Michael, 25, is a news anchor at WJHG-WECP (NBC News Channel 7 and CBS Local 18 News) Network in Panama City Beach, Fla., a former local titleholder for the Miss America Organization and alumna from The College of New Jersey, views audience engagement as a focal point of her broadcast career.
“I got to Panama City, Florida three weeks after Hurricane Michael hit in October 2018,” Michael said in a phone interview. “It totally devastated the area—almost a Category Five and 150 miles per hour winds.”
Now, the news anchor, reporting live at 5:30 p.m. each night, says the name Michael in about 70 percent of her news stories — and not in reference to her last name.
“It’s an everyday part of people’s lives,” Michael said.
The sensational storm story severely struck the community, leading Michael to believe that the most rewarding of moments in the industry occur off camera when personal connections form and journalists’ inspirations to report are instantly ignited.
According to Michael, people lived in tents because they lost everything, which was the case for about two and a half to three months. Today, there is still a big homeless population in the area.
“I got wind through my legislation contacts- my reporting beat- to talk to Shelly Fummers, who created her own tenting community in her backyard,” Michael said in awe. “CBS even came down and did their own story on it.”
Michael’s network is affiliated by both CBS and NBC, highly uncommon in larger regions but typical in smaller areas like Panama Beach City. Having two affiliates under one roof is how news stations generate a profit. Why advertise for one station when you can advertise for two?
Advertising is only a minor component of how the broadcast industry thrives. News networks are driven by a diverse array of digital media tactics to grow their audience.
“When it comes to connecting with your viewers, you have to be in tune with them,” Michael said. “If they want X and you keep dishing out Z, they are going to tune out.”
Michael receives several messages and questions on Facebook, a main aspect influencing the stories she creates.
“You cannot measure audience engagement through a camera, you can only see this digitally,” Michael noted.
The Fla. station places a large emphasis on digital media, tracking their engagement analytics on their Social Rank app, measuring how well stories perform and seeking their top ten stories daily. The app compares WJHG-WECP to its competitors, ABC and Panama City News Herald, the local newspaper.
“Yesterday, my story on the high price of rent was number three on digital news for the entire market,” Michael proudly stated. “That tells us, wow- people really care about high rent prices in the community.”
Similarly, the local Panama City Beach hospital laid off 300 employees, spiking the hard news story to number one, encouraging Michael to branch the topic even further, focusing on the recently unemployed.
“A large portion of how an audience consumes TV is digital news,” Michael believes. “TV news is somewhat antiquated now because people consume so much content on their cell phones.”
WJHG-WECP delivers breaking news on their website, linking the recent stories to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The station even reports live on Facebook, delivering breaking news at the scene.
“Since we do not have a 1 o’clock show, if news breaks at that time, we are directly at the scene,” Michael said. “This keeps the audience informed by the minute. We re-share constantly.”
During the interview with the bright broadcaster, she received a phone call from work around 8:00 p.m. and laughingly explained how a normal workday is definitely not from 9:00 to 5:00.
“I am on call pretty much 24/7 and that is because if news breaks, there is a high possibility that I have to cover it right then and there,” Michael honestly honed in. “The news never stops.”
But Michael is greatly skilled in the industry. Before her big break on live broadcast, she was a CNBC Assignment Desk Intern, TODAY Show Production Intern, MSNBC “Live with Thomas Roberts” Production Intern, CNN “Erin Burnett OutFront” Intern, CNBC Production Assistant and CNBC “Squawk Box” News Associate.
“I wrote scripts, worked really long hours and worked at the TODAY Show’s Orange Room with digital media, doing Facebook lives and Instagram posts,” Michael reflected. “Now, I create news packages and VO-SOTs (just a video and sound bite composing 30 to 45 seconds of content).”
Aside from her variety of technical skills, Michael considers a poised and polished presence pivotal in the newsroom.
“If you’re behind the desk speaking to viewers, you have to show that you’re a real person and not a robot,” Michael said. “A big part of that is letting your personality- very similar to pageants- shine through. You have to prove you’re a human being too, you’re not just reading words off a screen.”
Part of Michael’s raw, professional attitude on camera stems from her former pageant experience when she was a goodwill ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and networked with an innumerable amount of individuals across New Jersey.
“Public speaking, above all, prepared me the most for broadcast journalism,” Michael noted. “You have to speak eloquently and I used to get grilled in pageant interviews. If you can survive a pageant interview, you can survive any interview. I used these skills when I met Eric Trump at Squawk Box and with other people in news positions held.”
Relatability is now a central focus in journalism. Hilary Lane, 30, is a Freelance Correspondent for CBS News and recalled her experience with a CBS-hired vocal coach. CBS Network recognized that Lane was overextending her tone while reporting, refraining from her natural speaking voice.
“People often think if you are a journalist, you have to be overly firm,” Lane informed in a phone interview. “In my mind, I wanted to be credible and sound like a news reporter, and it was more of a psychological thing- but you really have to be yourself.”
This same ballet is performed plenty of times in the news industry, yet freelance journalism moves to a slightly different beat, with day-to-day duties quite daunting at times.
“When you’re a freelancer, there’s no contract,” Lane said. “As a freelancer, you’re not guaranteed [working] five days a week. I have more flexibility with my work and, if the TODAY Show wanted me to work tomorrow, I can go. CBS wouldn’t allow me to do that if I was under contract.”
Lane mentioned that she works at CBS for three to four days per week, filling in the other workday by contributing news announcements at News 12 New Jersey. When she is not reporting, she devotes her time to developing a great story.
“Some days, there are not breaking news, so I am thinking about pitches,” Lane contributed. “Pitches are essential in journalism- if you can think of a good pitch, you are golden.”
A large part of freelance journalism is the close-knit reliance on network affiliates across the U.S., helping the audience gather news more quickly through live broadcast.
“I work for CBS Newspath and we put out content for the 200 CBS affiliates in the country,” Lane said. “When a Pittsburgh shooting happened in October 2018, California did not have to send anyone because I was sent.”
Lane explained how audience engagement is essential in the industry, specifically when working for more than one market.
“I think it’s important to have a Facebook page for not only your professional work but also for personal photos with your family,” she said. “They want to get to know you behind the camera.”
Local news stations place a great emphasis on digital media to grow their audience, giving its interns and reporters a versatile paintbrush so they can colorfully paint pivotal strokes as artists of many skills- from pitching a story to announcing it live.
“In local news, digital media was the number one most important thing,” Lane said, remembering her experience working at WSTM-TV, a local station in Syracuse, N.Y. “I learned how to do everything in a small market- how to set up stories, interview people for stories and really learn how to manage my time to put it on air that night.”
For coming-of-age journalists, the bright future transcending ahead of them fuels a fiery passion within to tell compelling and sensational stories.
“It is so exciting for my generation to get involved in the business and the possibilities are endless for us,” said Brianna Borghi, a senior journalism and mass communication major and political science minor at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. “The opportunity to tap into niche audiences is an incredible thing that allows for more flexibility and creativity that lets you break free from the traditional television mold in turn for a more youthful and upbeat way to deliver news.”
Borghi, a News4 Intern at NBC Washington, curated her studies to incorporate politics within her journalism curriculum, based on a great appreciation for her home in the political hub of the U.S.
“D.C. is right at the heart of what’s happening,” Borghi admired. “There is such a power with going to school in the nation’s capital. D.C. is my classroom.”
Borghi said in a phone interview that political agenda-setting power has a strong influence on telling the audience what’s important. But also important to an audience is how a budding broadcast journalist connects with her audience.
Creating her digital portfolio as an incoming college student proved to be much more valuable than she ever thought possible.
“I knew I had to have a strong online presence in order to be seen as a professional,” Borghi remembered. “I knew that would set me apart in the gecko, and through every internship and even classes I’ve had, I would post packages and stories and, before I knew it, I had this massive space to showcase what I’m capable of.”
Borghi even stated that it is a disservice for journalists to be in-adept to digital media strategies.
“Instead of writing words on a resume, I had the means to show them,” Borghi confidently offered.
In an Audience Development course at The George Washington University, Borghi was taught by a former journalist at the Washington Post and partnered with an online newsletter, Lorem Ipsum, to track audience engagement.
Throughout the course, Borghi would video chat with the company, have access to its mail chip and subscriber data and analyze which email subjects generated the most clicks.
“I never realized the power that analytics had on how media operates in tailoring its content,” Borghi said.
Along with working closely with a newsletter, this intuitive student receives about ten different newsletters each morning, ranging from FOX News to MSNBC to CNN.
“I have always made it a point of mine to vary my news sources both in terms of what side of the aisle they are on politically and where they are graphically,” Borghi mentioned. “I think as an aspiring journalist I have to be well-versed in different viewpoints to be an informed citizen and be willing to engage in all sides of an issue.”
Regardless of form- whether that be broadcast, digital or print- sustaining a level of audience engagement is crucial for the trajectory of news-related content.
“Journalism is all about keeping the public informed,” Michael said after reporting the breaking 5 p.m. news in Florida. “It is a great time to be in journalism right now because we are on the sidelines of history. We are documenting history as it happens and I absolutely love that.”
In the broadcast industry, it is no longer acceptable to have a one-way exchange from news anchor to viewer in the newsroom. Journalists are expected to be viewers themselves, reading and connecting with viewers through comments, social media and digital platforms—just like Michael does.
“Everything we do is with the viewer in mind and that’s how we stay connected with them,” Michael assured.
Michael, 25, is a news anchor at WJHG-WECP (NBC News Channel 7 and CBS Local 18 News) Network in Panama City Beach, Fla., a former local titleholder for the Miss America Organization and alumna from The College of New Jersey, views audience engagement as a focal point of her broadcast career.
“I got to Panama City, Florida three weeks after Hurricane Michael hit in October 2018,” Michael said in a phone interview. “It totally devastated the area—almost a Category Five and 150 miles per hour winds.”
Now, the news anchor, reporting live at 5:30 p.m. each night, says the name Michael in about 70 percent of her news stories — and not in reference to her last name.
“It’s an everyday part of people’s lives,” Michael said.
The sensational storm story severely struck the community, leading Michael to believe that the most rewarding of moments in the industry occur off camera when personal connections form and journalists’ inspirations to report are instantly ignited.
According to Michael, people lived in tents because they lost everything, which was the case for about two and a half to three months. Today, there is still a big homeless population in the area.
“I got wind through my legislation contacts- my reporting beat- to talk to Shelly Fummers, who created her own tenting community in her backyard,” Michael said in awe. “CBS even came down and did their own story on it.”
Michael’s network is affiliated by both CBS and NBC, highly uncommon in larger regions but typical in smaller areas like Panama Beach City. Having two affiliates under one roof is how news stations generate a profit. Why advertise for one station when you can advertise for two?
Advertising is only a minor component of how the broadcast industry thrives. News networks are driven by a diverse array of digital media tactics to grow their audience.
“When it comes to connecting with your viewers, you have to be in tune with them,” Michael said. “If they want X and you keep dishing out Z, they are going to tune out.”
Michael receives several messages and questions on Facebook, a main aspect influencing the stories she creates.
“You cannot measure audience engagement through a camera, you can only see this digitally,” Michael noted.
The Fla. station places a large emphasis on digital media, tracking their engagement analytics on their Social Rank app, measuring how well stories perform and seeking their top ten stories daily. The app compares WJHG-WECP to its competitors, ABC and Panama City News Herald, the local newspaper.
“Yesterday, my story on the high price of rent was number three on digital news for the entire market,” Michael proudly stated. “That tells us, wow- people really care about high rent prices in the community.”
Similarly, the local Panama City Beach hospital laid off 300 employees, spiking the hard news story to number one, encouraging Michael to branch the topic even further, focusing on the recently unemployed.
“A large portion of how an audience consumes TV is digital news,” Michael believes. “TV news is somewhat antiquated now because people consume so much content on their cell phones.”
WJHG-WECP delivers breaking news on their website, linking the recent stories to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The station even reports live on Facebook, delivering breaking news at the scene.
“Since we do not have a 1 o’clock show, if news breaks at that time, we are directly at the scene,” Michael said. “This keeps the audience informed by the minute. We re-share constantly.”
During the interview with the bright broadcaster, she received a phone call from work around 8:00 p.m. and laughingly explained how a normal workday is definitely not from 9:00 to 5:00.
“I am on call pretty much 24/7 and that is because if news breaks, there is a high possibility that I have to cover it right then and there,” Michael honestly honed in. “The news never stops.”
But Michael is greatly skilled in the industry. Before her big break on live broadcast, she was a CNBC Assignment Desk Intern, TODAY Show Production Intern, MSNBC “Live with Thomas Roberts” Production Intern, CNN “Erin Burnett OutFront” Intern, CNBC Production Assistant and CNBC “Squawk Box” News Associate.
“I wrote scripts, worked really long hours and worked at the TODAY Show’s Orange Room with digital media, doing Facebook lives and Instagram posts,” Michael reflected. “Now, I create news packages and VO-SOTs (just a video and sound bite composing 30 to 45 seconds of content).”
Aside from her variety of technical skills, Michael considers a poised and polished presence pivotal in the newsroom.
“If you’re behind the desk speaking to viewers, you have to show that you’re a real person and not a robot,” Michael said. “A big part of that is letting your personality- very similar to pageants- shine through. You have to prove you’re a human being too, you’re not just reading words off a screen.”
Part of Michael’s raw, professional attitude on camera stems from her former pageant experience when she was a goodwill ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and networked with an innumerable amount of individuals across New Jersey.
“Public speaking, above all, prepared me the most for broadcast journalism,” Michael noted. “You have to speak eloquently and I used to get grilled in pageant interviews. If you can survive a pageant interview, you can survive any interview. I used these skills when I met Eric Trump at Squawk Box and with other people in news positions held.”
Relatability is now a central focus in journalism. Hilary Lane, 30, is a Freelance Correspondent for CBS News and recalled her experience with a CBS-hired vocal coach. CBS Network recognized that Lane was overextending her tone while reporting, refraining from her natural speaking voice.
“People often think if you are a journalist, you have to be overly firm,” Lane informed in a phone interview. “In my mind, I wanted to be credible and sound like a news reporter, and it was more of a psychological thing- but you really have to be yourself.”
This same ballet is performed plenty of times in the news industry, yet freelance journalism moves to a slightly different beat, with day-to-day duties quite daunting at times.
“When you’re a freelancer, there’s no contract,” Lane said. “As a freelancer, you’re not guaranteed [working] five days a week. I have more flexibility with my work and, if the TODAY Show wanted me to work tomorrow, I can go. CBS wouldn’t allow me to do that if I was under contract.”
Lane mentioned that she works at CBS for three to four days per week, filling in the other workday by contributing news announcements at News 12 New Jersey. When she is not reporting, she devotes her time to developing a great story.
“Some days, there are not breaking news, so I am thinking about pitches,” Lane contributed. “Pitches are essential in journalism- if you can think of a good pitch, you are golden.”
A large part of freelance journalism is the close-knit reliance on network affiliates across the U.S., helping the audience gather news more quickly through live broadcast.
“I work for CBS Newspath and we put out content for the 200 CBS affiliates in the country,” Lane said. “When a Pittsburgh shooting happened in October 2018, California did not have to send anyone because I was sent.”
Lane explained how audience engagement is essential in the industry, specifically when working for more than one market.
“I think it’s important to have a Facebook page for not only your professional work but also for personal photos with your family,” she said. “They want to get to know you behind the camera.”
Local news stations place a great emphasis on digital media to grow their audience, giving its interns and reporters a versatile paintbrush so they can colorfully paint pivotal strokes as artists of many skills- from pitching a story to announcing it live.
“In local news, digital media was the number one most important thing,” Lane said, remembering her experience working at WSTM-TV, a local station in Syracuse, N.Y. “I learned how to do everything in a small market- how to set up stories, interview people for stories and really learn how to manage my time to put it on air that night.”
For coming-of-age journalists, the bright future transcending ahead of them fuels a fiery passion within to tell compelling and sensational stories.
“It is so exciting for my generation to get involved in the business and the possibilities are endless for us,” said Brianna Borghi, a senior journalism and mass communication major and political science minor at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. “The opportunity to tap into niche audiences is an incredible thing that allows for more flexibility and creativity that lets you break free from the traditional television mold in turn for a more youthful and upbeat way to deliver news.”
Borghi, a News4 Intern at NBC Washington, curated her studies to incorporate politics within her journalism curriculum, based on a great appreciation for her home in the political hub of the U.S.
“D.C. is right at the heart of what’s happening,” Borghi admired. “There is such a power with going to school in the nation’s capital. D.C. is my classroom.”
Borghi said in a phone interview that political agenda-setting power has a strong influence on telling the audience what’s important. But also important to an audience is how a budding broadcast journalist connects with her audience.
Creating her digital portfolio as an incoming college student proved to be much more valuable than she ever thought possible.
“I knew I had to have a strong online presence in order to be seen as a professional,” Borghi remembered. “I knew that would set me apart in the gecko, and through every internship and even classes I’ve had, I would post packages and stories and, before I knew it, I had this massive space to showcase what I’m capable of.”
Borghi even stated that it is a disservice for journalists to be in-adept to digital media strategies.
“Instead of writing words on a resume, I had the means to show them,” Borghi confidently offered.
In an Audience Development course at The George Washington University, Borghi was taught by a former journalist at the Washington Post and partnered with an online newsletter, Lorem Ipsum, to track audience engagement.
Throughout the course, Borghi would video chat with the company, have access to its mail chip and subscriber data and analyze which email subjects generated the most clicks.
“I never realized the power that analytics had on how media operates in tailoring its content,” Borghi said.
Along with working closely with a newsletter, this intuitive student receives about ten different newsletters each morning, ranging from FOX News to MSNBC to CNN.
“I have always made it a point of mine to vary my news sources both in terms of what side of the aisle they are on politically and where they are graphically,” Borghi mentioned. “I think as an aspiring journalist I have to be well-versed in different viewpoints to be an informed citizen and be willing to engage in all sides of an issue.”
Regardless of form- whether that be broadcast, digital or print- sustaining a level of audience engagement is crucial for the trajectory of news-related content.
“Journalism is all about keeping the public informed,” Michael said after reporting the breaking 5 p.m. news in Florida. “It is a great time to be in journalism right now because we are on the sidelines of history. We are documenting history as it happens and I absolutely love that.”