The news bulletin is the main part of a radio or TV programme which gives details of important stories and events which happened during the day. Choosing the right balance of stories and building up the news in a way which will keep the attention of listeners requires careful thought and planning. It is also necessary to vary the pace at times, slowing down for dramatic or traumatic stories or speeding up for news of interest to young people for example. The way a bulletin is built up may vary slightly between days and times; at weekends for instance you will probably have fewer stories to work with than on weekdays.
Usually a news bulletin will start with headlines which highlight the major news stories of the day. These should be short enough to be read in a few seconds and should include a brief description of the story. They can be run in any order you like but the most important ones should go at the beginning of the bulletin. If you can’t fit your most important stories into the first bulletin slot, they could be used as the last few short actuality grabs which appear at the end of the bulletin.
When writing a story for a bulletin, remember that it is likely to be repeated many times during its broadcast so the words must be clear and easy to understand. It is also worth reading each line of the story out loud to check that it will sound natural. If there are any names which you are not sure of how to pronounce, they should be highlighted and practised before being used in the bulletin. It is also a good idea to time each item on the paper; eventually you should be able to look at a piece of copy and estimate in a few seconds how long it will take you (or your newsreader) to read.
About the Author
