Jornal de Comunicação de Massa e Jornalismo

Anchorperson: An Emerging Phenomenon in the Electronic Media

Abstract

Muhammad Khalil Khan and Farish Ullah Yousafzai

This research study mainly focuses the imprudent role of the anchorpersons working in different news and
current affair channels as an emerging phenomenon in electronic media. The study was designed to investigate the perceptions of audience members regarding the role of anchorpersons in different TV talk shows. In this study, I hypothesize that the anchorpersons are biased toward certain political parties/groups and trying to impose their own point of view on the panel and ultimately on the viewers; and they are not following the basic ethics of fairness and objective approach that is the fundamental duty of the information media. Descriptive survey research technique was used to find out what exists at the moment in the audience’s perception about anchorpersons. Two hundred forty respondents were selected through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Gender and level of education was used as strata for selection of appropriate sample for this study. The researcher used closed ended questionnaire to obtain the opinion of the audience regarding the role of anchorperson in TV talk shows. The empirical indicators of the study confirmed that anchorpersons were lacking professional experience and violate media ethics. The respondents believe that the anchorpersons often try to dictate the audience by imposing their own point of view. They are not only giving the analysis but also determine the direction. They violate professional
ethics by slanting the facts and biased analysis. They often used derogatory words for the panel and ask personal question to prove them guilty. Overwhelming majority of the respondents believe that anchorpersons have become agent provocateurs.