A news bulletin is a radio station’s chance to show the public that it has an interest in current affairs. It also allows the news team to showcase their journalistic skills.
Getting the bulletin to flow and keep listeners interested is a challenge for all journalists but is especially important for newsreaders. If a bulletin is boring or dull, listeners will quickly switch off or assume that the station does not care about them.
The order of stories within a bulletin will be dictated by the news agenda set by the station’s programme directors. A typical news agenda will focus on stories which are significant, interesting and about people. However, a good newsreader will use his or her own judgement in deciding which stories are most suitable for each break, based on the information available and knowledge of the audience.
It is usual for the most important story to be the lead story, followed by less important stories and then a summary or ‘brief’ of the most significant stories at the end. Briefs are short, usually no more than one or two sentences long, designed to highlight major events but not necessarily tell the whole story. They are a useful way to increase the pace of a bulletin if the majority of the stories are longer and heavier.
A special theme may be used to announce the bulletin, or a few seconds of music may be inserted between each segment. A sting is a small piece of music which consists of just a few notes and which is usually a simple instrumental or electronic sound. Some record companies produce a selection of themes which are designed to be used as stabs and stings on radio.
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