Free Character Writing Prompts #33: 
Reporters, Correspondents and Hosts

Coming to you live: a series of 10 character writing prompts based on reporters, correspondents and hosts! We see them on television, hosting our favorite reality shows, reporting on the news going on in our areas and analyzing what certain life events mean to our way of being. These television, radio and online personalities are there to facilitate our understanding of what goes on in our favorite entertainment and news programs. These hosts, correspondents and reporters are an interesting breed of celebrity as they become notable from telling us what is what as opposed to making some major breakthrough on their own in most cases. The stereotypical way to portray them is nice on camera but a jerk behind the scenes. Let's play around with a few more shades of grey than that stereotype.

Free Character Writing Prompts #33: Reporters, Correspondents and Hosts

1. He was the host of one of the first and most popular reality shows set in remote locations throughout the world. Despite the condition of the contestants, he was always impeccably dressed and he seemed to get tanner and more handsome each year. Though you couldn't tell on screen, he only worked a grand total of 50 days a year and was left to his own devices otherwise. He felt lucky that the work kept him well compensated, but he wondered if all he was meant for was hosting a glorified, tropical game show. If and when the show is cancelled, what will this bronzed host do with his life and why?

2. No matter where there was conflict in the world, he wanted to be on the front lines to cover it. He marveled when he looked back at a reel of his best-of footage and saw locales such as Iraq, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Somalia and more. He'd been closer to gunfire than most police officers and he'd feared for his life on multiple occasions. It was exhilarating to him and if you asked if he'd rather die while reporting or safe at home in his bed, he'd laugh at you and say, "Isn't it obvious?" What is his proudest accomplishment and why?

3. She was a correspondent for a completely tongue-in-cheek news organization. She'd always been interested in politics and sarcasm and this position completely met those qualifications. Her friends told her they more frequently learned about what was going on in the world from her and her program than they ever did from most legitimate cable news channels. If only they knew how much the people in the writer's room knew about the basics and not-so-basics of government. They worked hard to strike the right tone in their program and she felt blessed to be a part of it. What is one piece of news she particularly enjoyed spinning into comedy and what does she do during her free time?

4. Her talk show was an inspiration to women around the world and she'd had the fortune of interviewing heads of state, celebrities and others who were remarkable in their own right. When she returned home at night, she was tired. It was a lot of pressure keeping up a positive image when she didn't always feel that way. To her, the world was quite damaged and she wasn't sure if her little show could do everything she wanted to do to fix it. The negativity of the news and political scenes couldn't help but contribute to this world view. What are some of the things she plans to do to continue her cause of a happier and healthier world?

5. He was a powerful reporter who was much beloved by the older generation. They believed that everything he reported on was true because he had what seemed like an unshakable sense of integrity. This trait was not inherent, however, and to learn it he went through periods of addiction to gambling and alcohol. It wasn't until he received treatment at a well-known facility that he determined to be the most reliable person on television. Through his efforts, he became the man he is today. What are some of the things he learned to improve upon his integrity and does he ever feel a burden being so honest in a world rampant with dishonesty?

6. When he heard of the most dangerous animals in science class, he always asked to learn more. His student research led him to a degree in biology but he felt that it wasn't enough just to read about them. He embarked on a quest to study these animals directly and through a series of coincidences, he would become the charismatic new host of a show based on dangerous creatures. He loved the opportunity to share these wild beasts with the camera and the kids at home who were like him growing up. He had sustained injuries on multiple occasions during filming but he figured it was just part of the job. What was it that attracted him to animals so much in the first place and what does he like the most about hosting?

7. She felt like she certainly wasn't getting her due. After all, she was attractive, well-read and had amazing ideas, yet here she was stuck as the junior reporter at a local news station only 10 miles away from where she grew up. In order to promote herself, she knew she would have to reach a younger audience. She took to the Internet and began to make videos about the stories around the world that wouldn't get much coverage: inspiration women in third-world countries. Her videos received millions of hits and she turned them into offers at major news networks, though they might not give her as much time to continue the videos. What will the next step be in her career and why?

8. Her conservative views and strange accent made her a treasure trove of comedic material for liberal comedy news shows, but she didn't care because she was doing what she loved. She only wanted to make sure that those on the right side of the political equation knew was going on and she desired to accomplish this by stating things as simply as possible. While her friends told her it made an intelligent woman like herself look like an idiot, she knew from her high television ratings and infamy from the other side that she had to be doing something right. What is the achievement she's the most proud of and from where to her beliefs originate?

9. He had been the host of a major game show for nearly three-quarters of his adult life and he had finally decided to retire. His money-based program had given him more than enough money to live on wealthily for the rest of his time and he wondered what he was going to do with himself. After all, he'd been a game show host and didn't really know if he could do anything else. Everybody who passed him on the street spouted his hosting catch phrases back at him and his grandkids never tired of stories about famous people he'd had on the show. It seemed the world saw him as a host and nothing more. What would he do in his final decades and would he ever go back to hosting?

10. She knew that being a reporter in places of conflict was dangerous, but she never expected to be captured and ransomed by an evil dictator. Every few days she would tell a camera that she was healthy and treated well, and for the most part she was. She had a husband and a young child far off in the United States and she wished she could see them just for a second. It had been three weeks and the two countries were at a stalemate for her release. She questioned if she had gone into the right field and if journalism was what she should be doing. Is anything that could keep her away from her son the right career choice? What is her day-to-day life as a prisoner like and how will her situation become resolved? 

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