SABC news anchor Kershnee Govender during the news @ 9pm.

A TV news bulletin is a show.

Not a predominantly dramatic one with theatrics, confusing or captivating storylines, cliffhangers and breakthrough performances but one worthy of delivering some form of service to those it is targeted towards – the viewers. When people tune into a news bulletin, they are expectant of some kind of information, visuals, decent lighting, audible sound, newsreading and articulation. Typical signs of a TV show where delivery is of utmost importance.

I am an avid follower of news and current affairs. I think I spend most of my television viewing hopping through the various 24 hour news channels on offer on the satellite platform. I know and am quite familiar with most news gingles, news anchors, news reporters, political analysts, news makers and trends, various news shows, time slots and the subsequent content they offer.

I am that ‘weird’ type of an individual so I have come across a couple of individuals in particular who I have been following quite closely and note to display great skill TV news anchoring over the years.

The candidates all boast many years of experience in the news and journalism industry and come from different local news agencies.

The individuals I highlight in this piece are a representative of the many great news anchors that this country proudly boasts and it serves as a form of praise and admiration for their work and great skill. By so doing, I put the spotlight back into this very crucial career that is focused on serving viewers with the best in local and international news offering – delivered the best way possible.

Before I delve into the heart of the article, I take this moment to pay a special tribute to four news anchors in particular who really sparked the news and current affairs interest in me from their work during my early years.

Udi-Ya Nakamhela, San Reddy and Chantal Rutter from etv’s eNews, together with the legendary Sisi Noxolo Grootboom who has read the IsiXhosa news bulletin for a number of years on the SABC platform. These are the people that made me fall in love with watching and engaging with news from the first moment I saw them ever present a news bulletin.

I remember writing essays back at school about them and how much I really love and admire what they do. My teachers, who did not know who some of them were, always had an interesting reaction to the essays because I think they found it both weird and unique. I have always had this deep fascination around how an actual TV news bulletin is done. This fascination has been growing with me for years now. How this career connects with so many South Africans and people in general across the globe at once and in their personal spaces, daily, is impactful.

This article is dedicated to many including those I have highlighted earlier, for their hard work, passion and dedication over the years invested in serving the public with what’s happening around them.

I wonder where some of them are in their lives or the career…

The last time I ever saw Chantal Rutter anchoring news on TV was with the controversial ‘Gupta 24 hour news channel’ ANN7. A news channel that had a disastrous start and a sad ending, though I must say, Chantal should be acknowledged for keeping that news channel alive and worthy of being taken seriously by the public through the quality of on-air talent she contributed towards. Noxolo, I think is still with the SABC and I still need to do some research on where the other two gentlemen I mentioned are now up to.

Who else is this article paying homage to, currently?

The likes of Sally Burdett, Kershnee Govender, Leanne Manas, Peter Ndoro, Sindisiwe Mabe, Joanne Joseph, Refiloe Mpakanyane, Mahendra Raghunath and Khumbuzile Thabethe are classic examples of I would like to refer to as outstanding TV news anchors that this country has to offer. Each have a unique style of delivering the news bulletin.

Etv’s 8pm news anchor Sally Burdett.

So, what makes a good news anchor?

1. Being well-informed & all-rounded about current issues.

I think this is by far the most important trait that a good news anchor must have. They must be aware, all the time and about current affairs issues, be opinionated about them and have a say in those matters and be able to engage whichever newsmaker they are interviewing on these. This trait is easily observed when a news anchor needs to do an impromptu interview especially during a breaking news segment, the choice of questions and the phrasing thereof can easily separate a news anchor who is simply following a written script or someone who is well aware of their surroundings all the time. A good news anchor is also an all-rounder. Knows something about sport and important information happening in their world with its relation to business, markets and entertainment. A good news anchor is not just heavily informed with current news affairs and politics but can hold a conversation with newsmakers from across the spectrum.

2. Being able to work smartly with the auto-cue and not be heavily dependent on it.

The auto-cue is a smart gadget that guides the news bulletin and makes life easier for all those concerned. It ensures that the bulletin runs smoothly and that it flows accordingly through the right pace but as we all know, technology does not always play along and gremlins do creep in uninvited during a live broadcast. This creeping of gremlins during a live broadcast can really throw anyone off the mark to a point where the entire broadcast is ruined – not when a seasoned news anchor is on board. A good news anchor improvises with the auto-cue especially when it goes off and is still able to not lose the viewer, ensure a smooth transition when the auto-cue goes off amid broadcast.

3. Being able to interact & engage with the viewer and not be simply the script reader.

A good news anchor engages with the audience while delivering the news bulletin. This skill is one I feel is the predominant factor when someone chooses to watch or not watch a news bulletin. A viewer needs to feel that they are in a conversation with the anchor as opposed to simply being told what they need to hear by the anchor. In this evolving era, where the manner in which we consume our news differs from the traditional methods of ten years or so back. Cellphones, tablets, social media and apps are now quicker and more relevant methods to target audiences and news agencies are slowly evolving towards fully exploiting that sphere which is where most of the masses are, most of the time throughout the day. News happens fast and all the time, hence it’s important for updates to be just as rapid. A good news anchor talks to the viewers, engages and interacts with them through various means and platforms and tries to always deliver a bulletin that involves the viewers participation for the communication to be both ways as opposed to it being simply one-way.

4. Being able to effectively present the news and not just read them.

A good example of an excellent morning TV news show, SABC’s Morning Live presented by Leanne Manas and Sakina Kamwendo (Photo taken from @MorningLiveSABC twitter page).

Remember the opening statement of this article ‘A TV news bulletin is a show.’?

A good news anchor is also a good communicator and presenter. A good news anchor speaks well, is audible and does not easily lose the viewer, paces the speed of the bulletin accordingly and delivers it at the right pitch. It’s almost as if the anchor is talking to the viewer about what’s happening in their world as opposed to the viewer feeling as if they are being read a news script. There is power in how some words are used, spoken and articulated as that has an impact on how the viewer consumes the bulletin.

Morning Live, which is SABC TV news’ flagship morning news programme, has been on air for nearly 20 years and is still the country’s most preferred morning news programme presented by seasoned broadcasters Leanne Manas and Sakina Kamwendo. It is an excellent show that merges both news and current affairs.

It’s also worth mentioning the many people who contribute behind the scenes to a TV news bulletin from the news compilers, floor managers, runners, make-up artists to the director. It’s a collective effort that works well to bring together everyone’s contribution to the overall news product. And the right news anchor makes everyone shine, pulls everything together and delivers the work eloquently and seamlessly to the viewer.

To the likes of Sally Burdett, Kershnee Govender, Peter Ndoro & many other great and hardworking news anchors in the country, thank you for making TV news viewing great!