The news bulletin is the heart of any radio station’s news service. It’s the one by which listeners judge the entire news operation. The best news bulletins are well organised and paced with a variety of stories and some sound bites. They are short, clear, and understandable. The radio audience is not able to rewind to catch up on anything missed so it’s important that the words and phrases used are not too complicated or ambiguous.
Dramatic stories are often headlined, a tactic that is successful in hooking listeners and keeping them tuned into the bulletin for as long as possible. However, the headline should only hint at what the story actually is and not give it all away. For example, a headline such as “Motorists face another shock at the petrol pumps” is much more effective than “Petrol prices up again”.
Closing stories (often called tail-enders) are the final story that listeners will hear and remember from the bulletin. They should be light or funny and provide a welcome change of pace from the serious news items. A good choice of closing story can make or break a bulletin.
It’s common for stations to use a special theme to introduce the bulletin and sometimes for individual sections within the bulletin. These are known as stabs or stings and can include a simple musical melody played just before the newsreader’s introduction. If a story breaks just as the bulletin is about to go live it should be read immediately and given top priority. Otherwise it should be put at the next most suitable point in the bulletin or as a news flash at the end of the bulletin.