A news bulletin is a brief account of current events, delivered to listeners by radio or television. The news bulletin is not as extensive as a newspaper story, but it should be clear and concise and should provide the essential facts.
Freshness of news is very important, since listeners are interested in things that have happened recently. This does not mean that older stories are unimportant but it is vital to avoid ‘newsprint’ journalism and report the news in as up-to-date a way as possible. Always try to have a few more stories in the studio than you actually use, just in case you misjudge your timing or something goes wrong.
Listeners expect a balance of stories, some serious and some light, and some about major political events and others about ordinary people. The mix of stories will differ slightly according to the format of the station; for example, a serious national broadcaster will have more serious stories presented in a more deliberate style whilst youth-oriented music stations may be lighter and brighter, using more stories about popular culture.
A good bulletin should include short recorded actuality – clips of spoken words taken from interviews or speeches. These are known as grabs and they make a bulletin easier to listen to and more credible because the audience can hear first-hand evidence of what is being reported. They also help to break up long passages of reading by one voice.
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