The Scripts, They are a Changing

How many anchors does it take to change a script?
One, but they keep changing and changing it.

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It's hard to see someone eviscerate your carefully crafted script, but try to take your ego out of it. In the end, anchors are the ones who have to read it. I always encourage anchors to make their changes an hour prior to showtime. That's fair for you to ask. And if you make a change to his change, go to him and tell him why. "I changed the lead so that we can get to the video more quickly... Or, "The desk tells me it's four people killed in the car crash."

If your scripts keep getting changed, go to the anchor when he/she is not busy. Maybe it's after the show or maybe it's when they first get in. Say, "I'd like to talk about scripts. I notice you change a lot of my scripts. What can I do to make them better for you?" Don't take it personally.

There are a million ways to write a script and just as many styles. When I am writing, I try to hear the voice of the talent who is going to read my script. For example, the script you write for Shepherd Smith of Fox Report is not going to sound like the one you would write for Brett Baier of Special Report (not that I write for either of them, just an example). Even within shows, there's a difference. Bob may be bombastic, whereas Suzy his co-anchor plays it straight. Consider the end user and write for their voice and their style. Your anchors are the biggest assets to your show. People watch or don't watch because of anchors. Help them look better by writing for their particular style.

Hopefully, any anchor you approach is open to working with you. If they come at you with something like:
"I'm tired of training producers. It's not my job to teach you how to write..."

You can come back with:
"I respect you as an anchor and think you do a great job. It's a privilege for me to work with you. I am trying to make the show better. I want to do anything that accomplishes that. Mr. News Director hired me because he thinks I'm talented and can do the job. I've got a lot to learn, but I plan to do great things with this show and I'm happy to talk with you about them."

Understand, that for some anchors, there is a revolving door with producers. They've worked with so many producers who end up putting in a year or two and then they move on. They feel like they have to groom each producer and it gets tiring. Keep their side of things in mind. You'll probably put in a year or two and move on to the next market too. Good or bad, you'll learn real lessons from this person that will help you down the road.