The news bulletin is one of the most important parts of radio broadcasting. It must be fresh, dynamic and stimulating. It should be rewritten at least once each day, and even more often if there is an important story to tell. Otherwise listeners will tune out and go out to dig their garden instead.
The opening theme of the bulletin is important, as it helps to attract listeners. It should be dramatic and short, and should play just before the newsreader begins reading. It is also good practice to include a special closing theme to close the bulletin. A short music insert between each story is also sometimes used. These are known as stabs or stings, and can be effective to break up long sections of reading by a single voice.
It is also important to carefully plan the order of stories in the bulletin, particularly when there are some dramatic or unusual events to report. It is generally a good idea to start with the most important stories and leave the less important ones for later in the bulletin. This means that listeners who tune in to the bulletin will hear all the important news without having to wait for the final story which they might not want to hear anyway.
It is usual to headline dramatic stories, and also the last story in the bulletin – this is because, if the headline gives away too much of the drama in the story, listeners may decide that there is nothing else worth listening to and might go off and dig their garden instead. It is therefore essential to write the headlines for dramatic stories in a way that hints at the story but does not give away everything.