As the competition gets tougher and newsrooms shrink, every television journalist has to do more to remain relevant in this new decade. The following are some of my suggested resolutions to them so that more viewers follow their stories.

Resolution #5: Follow video grammar

At times, television journalists overlook basic video grammar. Some say that its impossible to ensure proper shot framing or to follow the axis rule at the spur of the moment. In reality, it doesn’t take any extra time. One has to ensure that they know the rules and remember it during the shoot.

Resolution #4: Make every frame count

If you want your story to stand out, you will need to make every frame count. Plan every shot, every sound bite and every voice-over and execute it to perfection. The end product is bound to look extraordinary. Cannot over-emphasise on spotting the best angle to the story.

Resolution #3: Tell the most important story in a touching way

Personalise the stories and tell the audience how the story affects them. Highlight the emotions through good shots, ideal sound bites and covering aspects that impact the audience.

Resolution #2: Facts, facts and only facts

Credibility is the essential wealth that any media organisation should earn. Unbiased, fair, objective, and reporting facts is how any media organisation wants to be known. The same concepts apply at an individual level for a journalist. Reporters can also ensure the credibility tag against their names by reporting facts in fair, ethical and unbiased way. However, disinformation and misinformation campaigns can derail this effort. Therefore, journalists will need to check and cross-check any information they gather.

Resolution #1: Innovate

The media landscape is changing fast, and reporting styles have to keep pace. Technological disruptions are impacting media as well, and journalists need to adapt themselves. As artificial intelligence (AI) is in the process of being introduced into media, it’s time for journalists to add more skill sets to their repertoire.