A news bulletin is a brief announcement of current events on radio. It is read out in a single voice over the sound of an instrumental theme. The bulletin is usually short, although it may be longer for some radio stations. The length of the bulletin is determined by a newsroom policy, which is set by the Programme Director. The bulletin is a chance for a radio station to show its ability to provide relevant information and current affairs.
As with a television news bulletin, the content of a radio news bulletin should be tailored to a specific audience and include stories that are of interest or concern to them. A good way of doing this is by putting yourself in the shoes of the listeners and understanding what pressures they are under. The audience is not going to sit around listening to a news bulletin that tells them things they already know, or worse, are aware of.
Radio news bulletins should be as concise as possible, avoiding ‘filler’ material. The length of the bulletin should also be considered, as the audience will often be multi-tasking and have limited time available to listen. The newsreader’s voice is also important – it should be clear and pleasing to listen to, rather than grating.
A special theme is usually used to announce the start of a bulletin and may be repeated at different points within the bulletin, such as the end of a story or a news flash. These themes should be no more than 30 seconds long and must not play before the newsreader begins reading the first story. They may also be used to link the various stories in a bulletin, although this can be done more subtly with a music backing track.