The news bulletin is the bread and butter of radio journalism. The bare facts of news stories are delivered in this short form to give the audience a daily dose of important information before more depth is added in a full programme. The format of a news bulletin can vary from country to country but the principles are similar. The aims of news writing are to provide factual, objective information that answers the ‘who, what, when, where, why and how’ questions.
Keeping in mind that the audience will listen to multiple news bulletins over the course of the day it is important to write stories that are compelling and stimulating. This can be achieved by using an inverted pyramid style of reporting, putting the most important facts at the top of the story and then providing context and explanation to ensure the audience is fully informed. Incorporating quotes from expert sources and witnesses can help to add authority, credibility and interest. Including sound bites that can be used to illustrate the story can also make it more interesting and easy for the audience to digest. However all sounds need to be relevant to the thrust of the information being conveyed.
It is also important to be concise and efficient when writing for radio. One minute of airtime equates to around 160 words. Keeping this in mind will help you to keep the bulletin short and punchy. A news bulletin should contain a mix of serious and light-hearted stories, some local and some international. It is also important to have a balance between stories about major political events and those that affect ordinary people.