The news bulletin is the most important part of any radio or television broadcast. Listeners expect it to be interesting, a mix of serious and lighter stories and to be delivered at an appropriate pace. The precise mix and the tone of a bulletin will depend to some extent on the overall format of the station; a serious national broadcaster will probably present a more serious and weighty bulletin than a youth-oriented music station. Within that context, though, there is freedom to re-order stories to add variety and interest.
The key element of a news bulletin is the ranking of stories in order of importance, and this should be done with care. A major news story should go first, followed by the second and third most important stories. Then follow the fourth and fifth most important, and finally the less important stories.
It is also important to consider the overall length of a bulletin, avoiding unnecessary filler material. If the bulletin goes over five minutes, listeners may become bored or distracted.
Radio listeners have a very limited attention span and it is vital that the news is presented at an acceptable pace. This is particularly important on air, because the audience cannot rewind or replay the programme. Listeners are also more likely to become confused if a newsreader reads too quickly or rushes through the script. It is therefore important for a newsreader to practise difficult pronunciations and mark pauses in the script, to ensure clarity.
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