The news bulletin is the most important part of any radio station’s day. Listeners expect a balance of stories – some heavy and some light, some about major events and others about people. They also expect the right pace to suit each story. For example, a report about a fire will be written at a very fast pace using short snappy words to convey simple ideas. Similarly, an explanation of some complex political controversy will be written at a slower pace using longer sentences to express more complicated ideas.
Your audience may have to do other things while they listen to your bulletin, so it is important not to rush. If you read too quickly, listeners will have difficulty keeping up and the information will soon become background noise. Occasionally, it can be useful to include a grab of actuality, a short segment of recorded sound such as an interview or speech, usually overdubbed with a voice that will allow the listener to understand it. If you use a grab of someone who speaks a foreign language, the accent should be slowed down to help listeners follow it.
If possible, try to avoid re-reading the same stories every day unless they are very important. This helps maintain the freshness of your bulletin and means that listeners do not get bored with hearing old news again and again. Likewise, never leave a story out of your bulletin simply because it has appeared earlier in the paper.
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