A news bulletin is a short radio news broadcast, usually broadcast on the hour or half-hour. It gives the bare facts of news stories before more depth is added in a full programme. Creating news bulletins requires journalism skills – writing clearly and concisely, and checking facts. It also involves editing – selecting and prioritising stories. A bulletin should be short and focused, avoiding filler material, as audiences may be multitasking or have limited time. It is a good idea to include sound bites from people involved in or affected by the story, as this makes it more engaging and credible. However, all sounds have to be editorially justified and should be kept to a minimum so that the bulletin is not cluttered.
News bulletins are aimed at an audience which is local, regional or national, and the stories chosen should reflect this. The top stories must be interesting and relevant to the audience, rather than being global news. It is also important not to sensationalise; the audience will not believe what you are saying and may lose respect for your organisation.
It is important for a newsreader to read the bulletin as if they were telling it to a friend. This means that they should not rush and should practise difficult pronunciations in advance. It is also important to mark pauses and to avoid repetition. Having a singsong voice or changing tone between sentences can be distracting. It is also important to avoid referring to the bulletin as the ‘top’ or ‘bottom’ stories.