A news bulletin is an important part of a radio station’s output. It is a chance to engage with listeners, stimulate discussion and reinforce the station’s image as a reliable source of information.
There are many practical techniques which will help make preparing a bulletin easier and more professional. In particular, ranking the stories correctly in order is crucial. A typical radio bulletin lasts about three minutes, and that allows room for six or seven stories. The first thing to do is decide which stories to include. You will have to choose between serious stories, dramatic stories and those which appeal to a broad range of interests.
You may also want to include a few short, light or funny stories. These are called ‘briefs’ and they can help to increase the pace of the bulletin if it is too slow and boring for your audience.
Some stories, usually in foreign languages, will need to be overdubbed – that is, the original speaker’s voice is faded down until it can just be heard and then the sound of a translator’s voice is played over it. This can be difficult to do without confusing your audience, and it is best not to use this technique unless absolutely necessary.
Once the main stories have been decided upon, you need to think about how they should be ordered. It is usual to put the most important story first, so that listeners who tune in for the start of the bulletin will hear the most significant news. However, if a major development occurs during the production of the bulletin, it may be necessary to re-order the stories.