A radio news bulletin is a key element of any broadcaster’s day. Listeners expect a balance of stories, some heavy and some light, some about major events and others about people. A good news bulletin will also have the right pace. This can be achieved by ranking the stories in order of importance and looking at them afresh to ensure they are presented properly. In addition, a number of stories can be run as briefs at the end of the bulletin, to increase the overall speed of the news and prevent the audience from losing interest.
It is important to note that the audience cannot rewind to catch up on missed information, so the news must be as fresh as possible. It is usually the case that a station will headline the main story of the day, on the assumption that listeners will stay tuned until they hear it. This can be an excellent way to promote the story and increase its impact. A dramatic headline can be a powerful tool, but it is important to write the story to match. It is important not to over-sensationalise; the public can see through this and will lose respect for your station.
It is usual to have an opening theme at the beginning of a bulletin and also short pieces of recorded sound called actuality in between stories. These may be a speech or an interview with a person who knows something about the story.
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