On what criterion should newsreaders be selected ?

what makes a good news reader...?
anyone who can read an autocue is a good start
after that.............
its the famous 'f' factor ....are the girls visually pleasing, cute with swishy hair or pouting lips? - are the blokes smooth and debonair , with passable good looks?
do they have 'it' - that something that makes them connect through the lens and not just seem like some wooden automaton?
are the older ones reassuringly avuncular . Do the double acts give that feelng of older experienced man with winsome young second wife?
...isn't a miracle Anna Ford still does it at all ?

Debonair is a somewhat overused phrase nowadays. Classic debonair is the likes of Nigel Havers etc. A smooth voice, very charming and good looks.

You don't get many newsreaders like that. Trevor McDonald, debonair? I think not.

I'm sorry I have to jump to Katie Derham's defence ... she was a journalist in the BBC's Business and Economics Unit before she got her TV break on Film 99 and then on to ITV. I wouldn't call her lightweight.
The majority of TV news readers are also journalists these days ... can only think of Moira in the BBC who didn't start as a journalist however Moira's many years of reading the news probably means she is as qualified as some others these days.

Baroness, never a truer work said!!
On a serious note, I know many jounalists who are brialliant at there trade out in the field, stick them in a studio and they look like frightened rabbits in the headlights when attempting to read the autocue, likewise many good presenters who are no good at reporting.
Multi skilling IS the only way forward. I heard of one newsreader at Granada who painted his own portrait whilst reading the news, pedalling the prompt and directing...all at the same time.

Goodness me, you don't half talk a complete load of old b0ll0cks.

Lightweight? If you think looks don't matter - think again!.
Pamela Armstrong, Sue Carpenter, Angela Rippon , Carol Barnes ,Julia Somerville , Fiona Armstrong ...and many many more ...all pensioned off when they reached a 'certain age' -( this despite Ms Barnes' alleged face lift to try and stave off the wrinkles....)
John Suchet, Nicholas Owen, Dermot Murnaghan, ...all big in the 'debonair' charm dept...grey hair a positive asset !
Stephen Cole - pretty boy hired as much to charm the ladies as his ability to impart the news! !
It doesn't matter how good you are at writing the story - if you can't read the autocue and look crap then you don't get on the telly . Simple as that.

...and , dear Major.....by all accounts ...Big Trev is debonair personified! a real charmer wth the ladies!

I'm sure if you think hard enough you'll find a few very good newscasters lacking in the looks department.

Thanks - I was about to say that too! There's actually been a recent trend to do more live, studio based programming - think Terry & Gabby, Wright Stuff, that Melinda Messenger show on Living and of course Xchange to mane but a few...

Trust me, live TV is by no means a dead horse...

Jeremy is the only recent one i can think of on any BBC News