Ask most students why they want to be a journalist, and many will picture the anchor’s chair. But on their Delhi media tour, Parul University’s journalism students heard India’s leading anchors describe the job with striking honesty, and their advice reframes anchoring from a glamorous destination into a demanding craft worth preparing for properly.
Become a Journalist First, an Anchor Second!
The single most repeated message was that anchoring is not a shortcut around journalism; it is built on it. The recurring advice across the India Today Network was to “become good journalists first, and anchors afterwards.” An anchor, students were told, needs far more than presentation skills: research, camera awareness, editing, graphics, and a real understanding of how television news is produced all go into it. NDTV’s Padmaja Joshi went further, advising students that reporting is a better place to begin a career than anchoring. Master journalism, and the anchoring has something to stand on.
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The Loneliness Behind the Desk
Padmaja Joshi was strikingly candid about what anchoring actually feels like once the cameras roll, dismantling the glamour most students imagine.
Every anchor is confident, but be a comfortable anchor, because it is a very lonely place to be. It’s all just you and the camera.
– Padmaja Joshi, NDTV
She described the particular pressure of live television, the awareness in every second on air that everyone watching is judging you, a weight she said most people underestimate until they are the one in the chair. Her advice to students was to be patient with themselves, to “start by being kinder to yourself” as they learn.
The Camera Is Unforgiving: Practice Relentlessly
If there is a secret to anchoring, both Joshi and TV9’s Saurabh Agarwal agreed it is unglamorous: practice. Joshi called the camera fundamentally “unforgiving” and said the only real remedy is repetition and self-observation, standing in front of a mirror and reading aloud until delivery becomes second nature. Saurabh Agarwal, a founding member of TV9 Bharatvarsh with nearly two decades on air, credited the same discipline.
It all comes with practice. After days of practice, it gets into your blood, sweat, and tears.
– Saurabh Agarwal, TV9
There is no shortcut, they stressed, only hours spent working on expressions, delivery, and composure until being on camera feels natural.
Preparation, Listening, and Language
Asked what separates a good anchor from a great one, Joshi’s answer was not about charisma but about preparation and attentiveness, how ready you are to walk into a broadcast, and how well you listen to the people around you. Staying updated, she added, is not optional: “Read as much as you can.” The India Today Network reinforced a related point: speaking a language is not the same as mastering it. For an anchor, grammar, pronunciation, sentence construction, and delivery all matter, and the precision required on air is very different from ordinary conversation. Anchoring, in short, is preparation made visible.
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Report the Facts, and Carry the Responsibility
On the hardest part of the job, reporting on tragedy, conflict, and disturbing events, Saurabh Agarwal kept his guidance simple: “Just report the facts and let your audience decide.” It is a reminder that an anchor’s authority rests on restraint and accuracy, not drama. And as reporter-turned-anchor Marya Shakil told students, when you pick up a mic, you pick up a responsibility; an anchor carries information to millions, and that duty sits beneath every broadcast. This is the same ethical grounding that runs through all good journalism. Becoming a confident anchor starts with understanding the fundamentals of journalism, from research and reporting to language, ethics, and storytelling. The BA in Journalism and Mass Communication and the MA in Journalism and Mass Communication provide aspiring media professionals with opportunities to build these foundations through practical learning, industry exposure, and hands-on experiences across reporting, broadcasting, digital media, and communication.
FAQs
How do you become a news anchor?
Become a strong journalist first: build reporting, research, and production skills, since anchoring rests on them. Then master the craft through relentless practice, reading aloud, rehearsing on camera, and reviewing yourself, while staying constantly updated and developing precise language and delivery. Many anchors advise starting in reporting before moving to the desk.
What skills does a news anchor need?
Beyond presentation, an anchor needs strong journalism (research, verification, news judgement), thorough preparation, active listening, precise language (grammar, pronunciation, delivery), composure under live pressure, and the ability to report difficult stories factually. Camera awareness and an understanding of how television news is produced are equally important.
Is anchoring harder than it looks?
Yes. Leading anchors describe it as a lonely, high-pressure craft; on live television, every second is judged, and nothing can be taken back. It looks effortless only because of extensive preparation and practice. That is why many advise mastering journalism and reporting first and being patient while building on-camera skills.
