A news bulletin is a brief account of news items. It is usually read out over the air by a radio or television newsreader.
The content of a news bulletin will vary from day to day depending on the events taking place and also what is relevant to your audience. For example, serious national broadcasters will tend to use more heavy news stories and will deliver them in a more measured style whereas youth-oriented music stations may prefer to run lighter, brighter news items about popular culture.
The headlines of a news bulletin should promote the main stories. This may not be essential for a three minute bulletin but it is generally good practice for longer bulletins. The headlines will be used by the listeners to judge how much of a serious nature the bulletin will be, so it is important that they are powerful and attention-grabbing.
During the bulletin, it is good to include sound clips of first-hand witnesses. This makes the bulletin easier to listen to and also more authoritative. However, it is vital not to over-sensationalise. Your audience will not believe what you are telling them and you will lose their respect if you present information which is not substantiated.
The order of stories within the bulletin should be decided at a time before it goes to air. The ranking of stories will give the listeners an indication of how important each story is. It is also usual to include a dramatic story at the end of the bulletin. This is often the most powerful way to encourage listeners to stay tuned right to the end of the bulletin.
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