Catt Sadler shares the Do’s & Dont's of starting a career in broadcasting...
Do’s
1. Be Authentic
This is the most important part of broadcasting. Your originality and authentic voice are what define you to your audience. Get ultra familiar with the YOU that you want to present to the world. This may change over time, but your confidence, strength, and assured self will resonate with viewers. If you're comfortable with YOU, they're comfortable with you.
2. Listen Intently
Sometimes when the roles are reversed and I'm interviewed on a red carpet, a reporter will ask me a question. I know instantaneously if they're listening to my response or just thinking about their next question. We talk for a living, but the real art is in the listening.
3. Come Prepared, Know Your Facts
There's no excuse for failing to know your facts. Whether you're interviewing Nicki Minaj or Meryl Streep, do your research. Know why you're there and go beyond the obvious. Broadcasting is about gathering information. The more you know, the more you get.
4. Own Your Space
Your microphone is your power. Your crew contributes to your strength. This isn't just a job, it's an art and the more ownership you take of the variables involved, the more success you will create. You must lead and inspire the collective efforts that achieve your broadcasting moment. From the first interview until the final edit—it's team work. Don't forget that.
Dont's
1. Mistake TV For The Stage
The best advice I ever got in my early days of broadcasting was—the mic is there for a reason; you do not need to shout. Often when people get started in the business, they feel the need to speak loudly as if they're on a stage in a theatre. Quite the contrary. You're coming through a little bitty box in the form of a TV or nowadays even an iphone. Broadcast is an intimate medium. Soften up.
2. Don't Confuse Your Own Importance With That Of Your Subject
If you're successful in broadcasting, chances are you’re growing in popularity just like the desired subject you’re interviewing. Never ever let this contribute to your own self absorption. It can be entertaining to be a part of the story, and personality is everything, but when it's all said and done, this is NOT about you.
3. Dont' Be Afraid To Stumble/Flub your question?
Trip on your words? Who cares. Allow yourself to have the occasional hiccup. I believe this makes a broadcaster more relatable. We're human after all, not robots.
