newscaster

newscaster — noun

1. a person whose job is to read news reports aloud during television or radio broa

1.nounB2
Definition

a person whose job is to read news reports aloud during television or radio broadcasts, presenting information about current events to the public.

Example

The local station hired a new newscaster named Yara for the late-night broadcast.

collocation: local station / newscaster

After fifteen years as a radio newscaster, Rohan finally moved to the television desk.

career path: radio newscaster → television

Common collocations
  • local newscaster
  • radio newscaster
  • TV newscaster
  • veteran newscaster
  • former newscaster
  • weekend newscaster
Synonyms
  • newsreader

    more common in British English; identical in meaning

  • anchor

    usually the lead presenter who coordinates the programme; stronger sense of leadership

  • broadcaster

    broader term that includes anyone who presents on radio or television, not limited to news

  • journalist

    broader still; includes reporters who gather and write news, not just present it on air

Usage Note

In American English, the term 'anchor' often refers to the main newscaster who directs the flow of a programme, while 'newscaster' can apply to any on-air news reader. In British English, 'newsreader' is the more common equivalent.

Common Mistakes

She works as a newscaster for the newspaper.
She works as a reporter for the newspaper.
A newscaster reads news on TV or radio, not in print publications.

Word family

  • newscast
    nounB2
  • newscasting
    nounC1
  • broadcast
    verbB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Newscaster, newsreader, anchor, broadcaster, and journalist all relate to media work, but they differ in scope. 'Newscaster' and 'newsreader' are nearly identical — both describe someone who reads news aloud on air — though 'newsreader' dominates in the UK. 'Anchor' is narrower: it refers to the lead newscaster who introduces segments, interviews guests, and oversees the programme's flow, usually in television. 'Broadcaster' is a wide umbrella covering anyone who appears on radio or TV, from game-show hosts to sports commentators. 'Journalist' is the broadest of all — it includes reporters who investigate and write stories, editors, and columnists, regardless of whether they ever appear on screen. For example: 'Leila is a journalist who writes for a newspaper; she is not a newscaster.'

newsreaderanchor ↗broadcaster ↗journalist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • local newscaster
  • radio newscaster
  • TV newscaster
  • veteran newscaster
  • former newscaster
  • weekend newscaster

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

Formed in the early 20th century by combining 'news' (from Middle English 'newes', meaning new information) with '-caster', a shortened form of 'broadcaster'. The word appeared around the 1920s and 1930s as radio news became a regular feature of daily life.