In the world of broadcasting, a news bulletin is the radio equivalent of a newspaper page. It is a compilation of stories, with the most important first. It should be fresh, exciting, stimulating and clear. A good news editor will want to get everything into a three-minute bulletin, but that is not always possible.
The key is to choose the right stories and the best order for them. Some stories are more important than others, and they will influence how long listeners stay tuned to the bulletin. Similarly, different audiences may have very different demands. A national news programme may require a more serious approach with serious stories, while a youth-oriented music station might prefer a lighter tone and some light-hearted news items.
A good news reader will read slowly to ensure the audience can understand what is being said. He or she should also be able to pronounce any foreign names, so that they are clearly understood. In addition, the news editor must be aware of any issues that might cause confusion in the audience, and try to avoid using jargon or phrasing that is likely to be difficult to follow.
It is often necessary to run actuality grabs, which are brief sound clips of real-life events or people. These must be short, clearly edited and accompanied by the name of the person being spoken to. They can be overdubbed if they are in a language other than English, but if the grab is longer than two minutes it can start to slow the pace of the bulletin and can make the audience lose interest.