TalentBlvd hosted a live virtual meetup with news directors, recruiters and talent acquisition partners from major networks in the country. We discussed what they look for in the reels and resumes of broadcast talent. They shared relevant information on content for anchors, news reporters, sports reporters, producers, meteorologists and entertainment hosts. They also provided valuable tips on how to follow up and get that interview.

Read the highlights below or watch the full video here

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First, get to know our speakers:

Mike Bothwell

Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition at Spectrum News

Celebrating his 30th year in the industry, with more than 5 years as an agent in LA, as well as nearly a decade as a news director, Mike has seen the industry drastically change. He firmly believes the best is yet to come. Spectrum News currently has *93* openings across the group. Click here to connect with Mike Bothwell.

Stephanie Gorin 

Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at The E.W. SCRIPPS 

Stephanie is an award-winning storyteller and broadcast journalist with 30+ years of experience. She was recently inducted in the Vermont Broadcasting Hall of Fame and approaches her recruiting role with deep industry knowledge. In her role, she is likely the first screen you will get in the interview process. 

Jessica Bobula 

News Director at KOLD 13 News

Jessica is an award-winning journalist and team leader with a knack for keeping a close eye on the details, pushing the creative envelope, and developing the careers of content creators. She has experience as a producer, EP, assistant news director, and news director in diverse markets such as Billings, MT, Tucson, AZ, Sacramento, CA, Houston/Dallas, TX and each of the Carolinas. She's passionate about excellence in the newsroom and makes everything she touches better.

Ashley Hall-Greer 

Senior Recruiter with Cox Media Group

Ashley Hall-Greer is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and started her broadcast career at KOMU. She began her career in multimedia in 2004 as a morning anchor for KDRV where she later became the evening anchor, and eventually the news director.  In 2019, she joined CMG at Action News Jax as an executive producer. She moved to the talent acquisition team in 2022 where she focuses on television roles. 

Dana Rosengard

News Director at FOX61 

Dana Rosengard is a former TV news reporter, anchor, & producer. After earning a PhD in Journalism & Mass Communication, Dana became a News Director at FOX61 in Hartford, CT. Dana is dedicated to enthusiastically taking a fresh, green group of reporters and helping them master their craft. He’s a team player and a mentor.

Aaron Vogel 

News Director at Action News Now 

Aaron started his career in Broadcast Journalism as a morning show producer and worked his way up to news directors. He has 22 years of experience doing stories that help people, working with new producers and reporters while watching them grow.

The Best Way to Outreach

Our guests were able to ask questions in our chat while our speakers took the time to answer in the most comprehensive way possible.

Question by Deidre Johnson 

”Good Afternoon! Is it okay to send news directors an email with our resume reel links or do you prefer that candidates submit an application online first? Also, how do we know if the position is still available? Do we need to only apply to positions that have been posted two weeks or less? Thanks! Deidre"

During outreach, Jessica Bobula strongly advises not to email news directors asking which openings are available. She adds that journalists should be able to research this. When you email news directors, do it once. She'll gladly reply to cold emails but not to multiple emails that feel spammy.

On the other hand, Mike Bothwell is constantly on Linkedin. The open to work banner is helpful. He commented that the pool of candidates has shrunk, and that at Spectrum News, they are looking for people early in their careers. Most importantly, for storytellers since this trade is difficult to teach. Hence, notable storytellers rise to the top of the list. Mike reaches to talent directly via Talent Dynamics and TalentBlvd. He does not use agents as much.

What they search for in talent reels

Stephanie Gorin searches for reels at TalentBlvd, Youtube, and Linkedin. She recommends uploading your reel on Youtube if you're looking for a new role in the next 3-6 months. More importantly, make your reel stand out. On this, Jessica Bobula says, "what stands out is what makes you uniquely you." She adds that the slate is helpful and it could be included in the description of the youtube video, as long as you provide contact info. She'll initially contact talent via email over phone number or social media. Besides email, Linkedin links are also a good choice for contact info.

Dana Rosengard suggests including a link to your reel on your resume. Don't expect recruiters to search for you since what they will most likely find first is not the professional information you would like recruiters to see. He also advises you to get the packages directly on your reel, "I want to see how you tell the story".  He recommends adding stories that are true to you as long as you come across as a journalist. He personally prefers slates that are no more than 5 seconds long since he can always press pause to gather your contact info. This is very subjective and you can only be true to yourself. 

Ashley Hall-Greer proposes that you showcase you're a professional in your reel and that you can do the job. Focus the content in your reel for the job you want. For example, if you're applying to Anchor roles, only include content related to this role. Variety might take away from the focus on Anchor jobs.

Content for reels

Question by Dylan Robichaud

"Can you please give advice on what to add to a reel for meteorologists?”

Stephanie Gorin shares valuable advice for meteorologists and sports reporters. She suggests that Mets avoid clichés or too many (10+) clips about your personality. An example of cliché for sports reporters is a clip with a rowdy crowd. Instead, standout with your talent, your creativity and your way to tell a story.

Mike McNamara added that a great way to learn how to adapt your reel is with Youtube analytics. This data will show you at which second do people drop off so you may make adjustments.

Advice for Producers 

Question by Denise

"Hi, I am not at the early stage of my career. I have an extensive background as a producer, serving different roles and markets. Are recruiters looking at experienced professionals as well? What would be the best way to showcase all of my experiences in a reel? Thank you."

According to Stephanie Gorin, producers need to show they understand that they need to grab attention and grab it quickly with graphics or interesting stories. She proposes that producers have breakout elements to show that it's not just the regular story - make something different. Additionally, to have a great reel you need great relationships with the newsroom since they can help you gather the best video and the best sound to include in your reel. Stephanie added that Instead of showing 5 packages in a row, show VOs and show pacers.

Instead of the best show, Aaron Vogel looks for the most recent show to see how they produced the newscast. He looks at sound and movement to see if it's repetitive so we don't bore the audience. He suggests avoiding long shots, 20 seconds or more, on anchors, instead, use camera movement, graphics and anything that will show how creative you can get.

Dana emphasizes the need to be a good newsroom citizen. He prefers that producers send last night's show and include in the CV the reason the producer loved last night's show and what they would change to make it better. Use cold opens, strong teases, interesting blocking and pre-blockage that are of high value to the viewer.

Following up on what Dana said, Stephanie advises MMJs, reporters , anchors, and all multimedia broadcast talent to also be prepared to send last night's show or the last three packages available.

More Q&A

Question by JaKayla Lide 

"So, A stand up montage should be 60 seconds?"

• Answer by Dana Rosengard - FOX61 Hartford 

Jakayla, I vote YES! :)

• Answer by Stephanie Gorin

Hi Jakayla - It shouldn't go longer than 1:30 - pick your best clips - show yourself in a features, hard or breaking news, and doing something creative maybe with graphics - and move on. Please don't make us pick your best stuff. Think of your reel as a long form package to sell yourself. Don't be repetitive with four feature standups or 2 feature packages. Show your range and stop.

Same with anchors versus reporters / mmjs - if you're applying for an MMJ opportunity - don't start your reel with anchoring

Question by Gillian Harrill 

"Is the accuracy of the writing test more important than completing it? I prioritized finishing a long writing test with an hour time limit but did not get to edit it or check it for accuracy."

• Answer by Stephanie Gorin

Gillian - the accuracy and speed matter in tandem. You need to work quickly and write accurate scripts in any newsroom. Maybe get through the test quickly -then go back and edit - and add flavor - and pizazz. Does that help?

Question by Sean Robertson

"How would you advise someone to build a sports play-by-play reel?"

• Answer by Dana Rosengard - FOX61 Hartford 

In 2023, it's so easy to produce different versions of reels.  Put together a product specific to the job for which you are applying.

Jacob Brooks 

"Everyone, thank you for taking the time to discuss reels and interviews. This was great information & I'll definitely keep this in mind as I put the finishing touches on my new reel before I graduate in May."

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