Article: Close your eyes to focus on the reporter's voice and inflection. Using their tone, the reporter tells you what is important, what is sad, what is exciting, and what you don't want to miss. It's not so much what they're saying, but how they are saying it. You might notice that the reporter sounds excited, energized, friendly, or confident. Try writing down some words you would use to describe the reporter's voice. You can use these words for reference when you're practicing. Look at the reporter's body language. Watch how the reporter's face reflects the tone of the story. Look at where the reporter places their hands. Break out the video camera or smart phone and either record video or audio of yourself. Play it back and listen closely. Watch the news and compare your voice to the reporter's. Try not to criticize yourself too harshly. You are comparing yourself to professional newscasters while you are just getting started. Simply compare to see how you can improve. Type up and print a news story that you want to practice reading. Use a font that is 1.5" to 2" tall and in a sans-serif style, such as Arial or Helvetica. This will most accurately reflect the teleprompter type-style. Place the papers on a table across from you and try to read them while moving your eyes as little as possible. You'll often see a reporter with papers in their hand. You practice this way, too. Practice glancing down at your notes and then conveying the story, rather than reading directly from your notes. This is called ad-libbing, and you might see examples of it between two stories or at the end of a story on the news. A reporter might give a brief opinion or make a comment about the story. Come up with a few phrases you can use for a variety of situations so that they sound natural. For a serious story, you can say something along the lines of, "What a tragic event for the neighborhood," or "Let's hope everyone makes a full recovery." Make it clear that you care about the situation. For a feel good story, you can keep it simple by saying something like, "How fun!" or "That really warms the heart." It's important to stay neutral for political stories. Good examples of comments could include, "This race is really heating up," or "This has been a really exciting story to follow." These comments still give an opinion while remaining neutral.

What is a summary?
Watch the news to listen to how reporters sound. Record yourself reading a report to spot your weaknesses. Practice keeping your eyes still while reading from a distance. Be prepared to go off-script from time to time.