A news bulletin is a summary of the most important stories of the day. It should be easy for listeners to grasp; writing short, clear sentences is one of the key editorial rules of radio journalism. Listeners will often be listening to several bulletins throughout the day and may be tired of hearing the same news repeatedly – so make sure it’s fresh, dynamic and stimulating.
The format of a news bulletin will depend to some extent on the style and format of your station; serious national broadcasters will probably use more serious stories delivered in a slower, deliberate way whereas a youth-oriented music station may prefer a lighter, brighter tone with stories about popular culture. The way in which a bulletin is built up will also vary between days and times; you might find you have fewer stories to work with at weekends and, therefore, will need to re-assess the importance of each story.
Some stories, such as weather forecasts and traffic updates, are essential to be heard. They are a vital link with listeners and must be run regularly so that your audience is aware of your services.
You should always run a headline at the top of each bulletin, to give listeners a quick overview of the main headlines. You should have a list of headlines to hand, with their dates and locations, so you can quickly check whether your audience is already familiar with them or not. It’s also important to run briefs at the end of your bulletin; these are shorter stories that are designed to increase the pace of your bulletin if it becomes too slow and boring for your audience.