Dave Karger on How Journalists Can Land TV Appearances
Dave Karger made quite a splash when, after almost two decades at Entertainment Weekly, he went to work for Fandango as chief correspondent. Now that he’s settled into the role, he tells Mediabistro what he’s been working on lately and offers up some advice for print journos looking to transition to TV. Here’s an excerpt:
How can someone position themselves for TV appearances of the kind that you make regularly? For a writer looking to get into that, is it just about getting the right job (where producers come to you), or is it about actively pitching yourself?
I think the important thing is just to know what you’re talking about and really study it. Find something that you’re extremely interested in, so that becoming an expert in it doesn’t feel at all like a job or a chore. If I didn’t have the job that I have, I would still be obsessed with the Oscars and I would still know who Quvenzhané Wallis is. It just happens to be that this is what I get to talk about for work.
I feel like all the great stuff I’ve gotten to do over the years, whether it’s the Today show or being the Academy greeter, it was never a calculated plan. I just tried to be comfortable in front of the camera and really develop an expertise. I think the fact of the matter is that I’m really interested in this, and that just shows when I talk about it or in the past when I have written about it.
For more, read So What Do You Do, Dave Karger, Chief Correspondent for Fandango?
