News presenter: Encyclopedia II - News presenter - Different roles

News presenter - Different roles

News presenter - Newsreader

A newsreader is a presenter whose role it is to read the news. In modern times, technology enables journalists to broadcast from relevant locations, reducing the role of the central presenter to that of a newsreader. The term is the most common one for a news presenter outside of the United States and Canada.

Since the 1980s some broadcasters have moved away from using newsreaders, many of whom were simply actors who delivered a script written by others and who played no part in news gathering. Stations such as the BBC and RTÉ instead moved to use newscasters.

News presenter - Newscaster

A newscaster is a presenter of a news bulletin who is himself or herself a working journalist and news gathering, and a participant in compiling the script to be delivered in a news bulletin.

The American use of the term is presumed to have been coined (or borrowed from English) in the 1980s to distinguish active journalists from newsreaders, the previous type of news presenter.

However in the UK, ITN's presenters are referred to as newscasters (and have been since the 1950s), whilst those working at the BBC are called newsreaders.

News presenter - News anchor

A news anchor is a television or radio personality who presents material prepared for a news program and at times must improvise commentary for live presentation. The term is primarily used in the United States and Canada. Many news anchors are also involved in writing and/or editing the news for their programs. Sometimes news anchors interview guests and moderate panels or discussions. Some provide commentary for the audience during parades and other events.

The term anchor (sometimes anchorperson, anchorman, or anchorwoman) was coined by CBS News producer Don Hewitt. CBS cites its first usage as being on July 7, 1952 to describe Walter Cronkite's role at the Democratic and Republican Party National Conventions. The term may have been in reference to the "anchor leg" of a relay race.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Different roles", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki