A news bulletin is a short radio or television news broadcast, providing the bare facts of stories before more depth is added in a full programme. It requires both journalistic writing skills – being clear, concise and factual – and editing – selecting, checking and prioritising stories. The aim of a bulletin is to stimulate a daily conversation about the news that matter to your audience, and that’s why the selection of stories must be tailored to your audience’s needs.
You should use a mix of sources – local, regional and international – and ensure that you have good photos to illustrate the news. You should also avoid using jargon or technical descriptions that would be unhelpful to your audience. Whenever possible, include first-hand quotes from witnesses or experts. These make your bulletin more interesting and authoritative, and they’re a great way to add credibility to the story. However, be careful not to fill the bulletin with sound clips that don’t add value or fit with the editorial direction of the bulletin.
The most important thing to remember when presenting a news bulletin is that your listeners will be busy doing other things while they’re listening, and you need to respect their time. So read slowly and pause between each item, and pronounce any foreign names you’re unsure of clearly. This will prevent your bulletin becoming background noise. Also, be sure that all of your information is accurate and up-to-date.
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