A teleprompter, which projects a script on a transparent panel in front of a TV camera lens, helps anchors maintain direct eye contact with viewers. How can you read off a teleprompter and still sound natural? Writing as well as delivery are important factors.
NBC News, MSNBC, NBC News NOW and NBCU Local anchors and reporters share advice in the above video and remarks below.
Preparing to read a teleprompter
Brian Cheung, NBC News business and data correspondent: Teleprompter can be good and bad. You have all the material in front of you, so you know exactly what you’re saying, but you also don’t want to sound robotic.
Vicky Nguyen, “NBC News Daily” co-anchor: When reading a teleprompter, do your best to see what the scripts are beforehand. If you can read over the scripts before, [rather than] read them cold on a teleprompter, that’s always the best option.
Kay Angrum, NBC 4 New York host and digital reporter: It’s one thing to read a story in your mind, it’s another to engage with it. Be as prepared as possible. That includes the prep work beforehand, even talking about the stories out loud.
Emilie Ikeda, NBC News correspondent: If you’re reading strong writing from the teleprompter — really powerful, impactful writing — it’s going to be easier. So don’t be afraid to make edits, to put something into your own voice. And always remember to refine your writing throughout your entire career.
Hallie Jackson, “Hallie Jackson Reports” anchor: Get really good at asking questions, writing copy and doing a million live shots with no teleprompter. Then when you do get to the [anchor] desk, it’ll feel a little more natural. It’ll come more easily to you.
Marquise Francis, NBC News “Stay Tuned” correspondent: We all want to build our own style. Actually go on YouTube and improve your voice. It helps with articulation and enunciating different words.
Maya Eaglin, NBC News digital reporter: There’s a few websites where you can try to read from a teleprompter at home. Definitely try to practice a few times before you do it for the very first time.
Working on your delivery
Morgan Radford, “NBC News Daily” co-anchor: With teleprompter, sometimes people feel the need to present and use this “voice of God” that they kind of grew up hearing. But that’s not always the best way to use teleprompter. You can use teleprompter to have a casual conversation.
Laura Jarrett, Saturday “TODAY” co-anchor: I remember, the first executive producer I had when I was first starting out in television, told me, “Don’t stop. And so, if you see a period, don’t just pause and do it as if you were reading it. Just keep going. So from then on out I never use periods.”
Jonathan Gonzalez, NBC4 Los Angeles co-anchor/reporter: I tend to race through my script, so I have to constantly tell myself slow down. And when I watch the final product, it sounds just fine.
Nguyen: If you read slowly, it gives you more time to be expressive and use your storyteller voice to try and explain what is actually happening in the news. And it gives you time to ad lib and sometimes correct what may be a mistake in the prompter.
Cheung: When you go slower, you’re also more intentional about what you’re reading. Take the time to process through your brain, “Oh, this is a serious story. I need to make sure I have the tone right, so I’m delivering this in a way that’s sensitive.” But if it’s an upbeat story, then as you’re reading it slower, you go, “OK, well, I can turn it up. Now I can bring up the energy.”
Yasmin Vossoughian, “Yasmin Vossoughian Reports” anchor: What happens if the teleprompter stops working? We have backup paper scripts in front of us here that we can use if something goes wrong.
Angrum: Right before I read a teleprompter, I’ll get myself mentally prepared. Then it’s just like reading a book, going along with the lines, breathing. At the end of the day, you’re talking to people.
