A news bulletin is the collection of stories that make up the main part of a radio or television news broadcast. The format of a news bulletin can vary according to the style and tone of the station it is produced for; a serious national broadcaster might favour a more factual approach with serious news, while a youth-oriented music radio station might opt for a light and brighter tone with stories about popular culture. The order in which the news stories are arranged also influences the tone and pace of the bulletin; too many long complicated stories will slow the overall pace down, making listeners lose interest.
Each story in a bulletin is usually given an editorial mark of how important it is. This mark can be useful when deciding where to put a story within the bulletin; the more important an item is, the earlier it should appear. It is also usual to include short stories called briefs at the end of a bulletin. These are short pieces of information which do not tell the whole news, but simply re-state the headlines of major stories. They are often used to increase the pace of a longer bulletin, and can help the audience to remember the headlines of the top stories.
News for radio should be written in clear, simple and straightforward sentences to ensure clarity and memorability, especially as the audience cannot rewind or replay what is being said. It is also important to avoid sensationalising the news; if the audience does not believe what you are saying they will be less likely to respect your professionalism. The same applies to reading at a quick pace; reading too quickly can make it hard for your audience to follow and could result in the information becoming background noise.