Grape,
I'm a young producer in a 80's market who works on the late newscast. In my first job the anchors did their share of the writing but here the two hour dinner break is the norm for anchors. These two won't lift a finger to help; they simply expect me to hand them a script. They've both been here awhile and probably won't change, even though neither is very good.
Is this common, and how can I deal with it?
-Dining In
Dear Dining In,
It seems that about half the anchors like to write their own copy and the other half expect to just show up and read the prompter. I've seen this in many places, but I've also noticed that the most successful big market anchors do their share, if not all, of the writing.
I remember visiting a friend at a network about five years ago just before the national newscast. He was giving me the tour, and there, feverishly pounding the keyboard, was the network's main anchor.
If you're a young anchor here's a news flash... reading your own copy is easier and more natural than reading someone else's. That's because we often write just the way we talk. You know your own style and pacing. To me, having someone else write your copy doesn't make sense. If you have to read someone else's copy, be prepared to stumble once in awhile or run out of breath, because it isn't written in your style.
Even if you don't write all your copy, you should at least edit it so that it feels more natural to you. That's part of an anchor's "personality" which can help your career. It also helps your reputation. When I was looking for anchors, I'd always ask previous NDs if they wrote copy or were "anchors by proxy," a nice little term for those who think all they have to do is show up and read. Maybe that's why your anchors have been in an 80's market for so long.
As for the original question, there's not much you can do to change people who won't pitch in. That has to come from above... or within. But as a producer, just keep writing killer copy... and you won't be in an 80's market for long.
2 comments:
Working with lazy anchors has an upside: If you craft a killer show, you don't have to worry about some anchor who thinks he's a writer but isn't mucking up your show.
Well, I never thought of it that way, but you've got a point.
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