Promotions Producer

It can be easy to forget that the nightly news is a business. And like any business, it needs to pull in customers. Your job as a Promotions Producer is to create exciting ads that entice viewers to stick around and watch what happens next.

Whenever you see a Newscaster giving viewers the first lines of a story, and encouraging them to “tune in at six to find out more,” you see the work of a Promotions Producer. In this position as a Promotions Producer, you work with Reporters and Cameramen to find out what stories will be reported later that evening. As a Promotions Producer you write short headlines that are both informative and attention-grabbing, and combine them with images taken from the scene. The purpose of all this is to encourage viewers to watch the actual newscast.

You need the ability to work with different editing tools and video programs, and to write captive introductions. The job also calls for a lot of creativity. You might decide to add music or combine shots to make the spot more exciting. For the most part, you have the freedom to promote stories in any way you want.

Communication is a big part of this job, and it can make or break a good promotions spot. Since the focus of a story, and the facts themselves, can change often, Reporters have to maintain constant contact with you as the story develops. You should be able to work in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment, since things like breaking news or new developments might not give you lots of time to create a new promotions spot before it airs.