TV News Training Workshops:

How To Make Them Work To Your Advantage

TV News Training Workshops:

How To Make Them Work To Your Advantage

Written by News Gal
🕒 June 26, 2018

If you get a chance to go to a training workshop you should definitely take it.

Sometimes these consist of a speaker coming to your newsroom, or a one-day workshop in your market for anyone who wants to attend. Other times, it’s a chance for you to get out of your market, and meet people from television stations throughout the country.

In order to get the most out of these experiences, you need to look at it as an opportunity and not a vacation.

1. Find the right workshop.

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There are several workshops that take place throughout the country all year long. In some cases you have to apply to get in, and in other cases they accept everyone who registers.

Poynter hosts some amazing training opportunities. Sometimes, they even offer them for free! I went to a Poynter training session that provided me with a free hotel, lunch, and workshop. It was amazing.

Oftentimes they cost money, but if you’re lucky your station might pay for you to go.

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) also offer training. You can find out about most of the training sessions online.

Find a topic that interests you and apply or register!

2. Ask your company to pay.

If your workshop costs money to attend, it can’t hurt to ask your boss if the company will pay for your training. If the training is free you could ask your boss to cover your gas, flight, and/or hotel room. If they won’t pay for any of that, maybe they’ll cover your dinner. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

3. Network

When you’re at the workshop, make sure you are ready to connect with people. Workshops are a great chance to meet other people who are in the broadcasting business. You never know when someone you engage with at a conference or workshop will be able to help you out by getting you an interview at their station or getting you in touch with a news director.

Make sure you have business cards with you, and hand them out to everyone you meet. You never know when your paths will cross again.

4. Be ready to learn.

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You might think you don’t need training, but trust me, we all do. It’s fun to learn new things and brush up on old skills. The people teaching these workshops are professionals, and they truly want to help you succeed. Make sure you are 100% committed to listening, learning, and implementing.

Continued training is so important. Plus, it’s always nice to take a break from the everyday grind, and focus on something that interests you. The more we learn, the better we will be at our jobs.

So have fun!

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