A news bulletin is a short account of the latest news which radio stations broadcast to their listeners. It must be presented in a way that makes the listeners want to stay tuned and listen all the way through. It must include hard and soft news – that is, a mix of stories which appeal to a variety of interests.
The most important story should be headlined at the start of the bulletin, although this is not necessary for a short bulletin. If the headline is attractive and eye-catching, listeners will be more likely to stay tuned until they hear the full story. It is a good idea to include one dramatic story, and the headline for this should hint at it without giving away too many details. Many stations like to headline the final story, on the assumption that listeners will stay tuned until they hear it.
Some radio stations use a special theme to announce the bulletin and may also use music to separate different parts of the bulletin. These are called stabs or stings. The opening theme should be short, and ideally it should fade out under the presenter’s introduction to the bulletin.
The sound of recorded speech or interviews should be used as much as possible. This is known as actuality and it helps to make the bulletin more interesting and credible for the listeners. The voice of the newsreader is extremely important. It must be pleasant and appealing to the audience; a grating voice will make listeners switch off. Short recorded sound clips are also useful, and these can be very effective if they have some relevance to the main news story.
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