The news bulletin is a vital part of any radio or television programme, but it must be carefully constructed. The way in which it is built can affect the tone and style of the programme. Listeners expect a balance of stories; some serious and some light, some about major events and others about the lives of ordinary people.
You need to examine each story and decide how it will fit into your bulletin. You must also think about its pace and how you can vary the speed throughout the bulletin. If you have too many long complicated stories your audience may get bored. Similarly, too many short sharp stories can leave the bulletin sounding disjointed and unstructured.
It is important to use the latest stories available to you. This is because you need to be as close as possible to the actual event. This helps to keep your listeners interested in what is happening today, rather than what happened yesterday or last week.
Urgent news should always be given prominence, if it is appropriate. This can be done by introducing it as a news flash at the top of your bulletin, or by dropping a more mundane story and replacing it with a news flash if this would make more sense.
It is a good idea to have a set of closing headlines which can remind your listeners of the major stories that have been running through your bulletin. This can be a useful service for listeners who might have tuned in late, but it is important that the closing headlines are not just dull or tired.
About the Author
