A news bulletin is a summary of stories that are reported in the media. It should be a mix of hard and soft news and include different topics such as politics, health, environment, homes and so on. Most importantly the bulletin must appeal to the listener’s interests, as he or she may soon switch off if they hear about something they don’t care about.
At the beginning of a bulletin there should be an attractive and eye-catching headline which suggests the drama of a story without giving away all the details. Many stations also like to headline the final story on the assumption that if they make it dramatic enough, listeners will stay tuned until they have heard it.
Some stories can be presented in several ways: they might run as a straight read, or in the form of a voice report or even as an audio clip. Having multiple formats gives you more options and helps to keep the bulletin fresh and interesting for your audience.
A good way to make a bulletin more attractive is by using short recorded sound called actuality, such as the sounds of speeches or interviews with people who have a direct connection with a story. This makes a bulletin more credible and it helps to break up long passages of reading. A good bulletin should also have a special theme to announce it and to sometimes separate different segments of the bulletin, such as by playing a musical clip on a keyboard or synthesizer. Such brief music clips are often called stabs or stings and can be very effective.
About the Author
