A news bulletin is the heart of a radio or television programme and, like a newspaper, it must be balanced with a mixture of hard and soft items. A three minute bulletin will not allow room for every story that might interest listeners – so tough decisions must be made about which stories are to be included.
The overall order or balance of a bulletin is important, and so too is the pace at which it is read. Too many long complicated stories can slow the bulletin down and cause listeners to lose interest, whilst too many short sharp stories can make a bulletin sound unstructured and disjointed. It is therefore vital that the pace of a bulletin is varied throughout – slower at times to allow listeners to catch their breath and quicker at other points to pick up lagging interest.
A good lead story is vital to a bulletin and it is essential that it is clearly written and presented in a way that makes it stand out from other stories. It is also a good idea to give the lead story a dramatic title which will hint at its importance without giving away all the details.
It is also essential to practise the reading of each story, particularly with regard to pronunciation. This is particularly important for any foreign names which may prove difficult for listeners to understand unless the words are spoken slowly and with great clarity. Using a stopwatch to time each item as you read it will help you develop this skill, and some modern newsroom computer systems can automatically calculate the length of each piece of copy.