Bulletins are designed to collect all the news that’s relevant into one specific broadcast, usually a few minutes long.

Each bulletin will have a variety of stories reflecting the latest information your listeners are interested in. They are not comprehensive. They should give a flavour of the main points of the stories.

If you are working for a small radio station you will probably be gathering and editing the material for the bulletins and reading them yourself. If you work for a large broadcaster you might be editing the bulletin for a presenter to read.

Stories will consist of the following types: a straight read by the presenter; sections of text followed by a clip or clips of audio; an introduction followed by a piece by a reporter.

Work backwards from the on-air time and give yourself enough time for preparation. For example, you need time to print off scripts, brief your presenter if necessary and to get to the studios.

If you are the bulletin editor you need to give journalists clear instructions about what they are expected to deliver, the length of the item they are producing, the format it is expected to take and when it is meant to be ready.

Give yourself time to look at the story and check it for grammatical and factual errors. Read it out loud to make sure it makes sense and can be easily understood by listeners.

When you have collected all the stories you will use for the bulletin, always add a couple of extra items if possible. This is to allow for technical errors with audio and so on.

Try to rank the stories in your bulletin in order of importance and give each story a weight.

For example, a story which impacts on everyone in the community will usually be stronger than one which only affects a handful of people. An outbreak of Covid-19 in town is more important than one about plans to upgrade a road in two years’ time. A story about a football result will carry less weight than one about deaths arising from a traffic accident.

Try to place connected stories together in the bulletin. For example, it would make sense to place a story about malaria next to one about health facilities.

Once you have ordered the stories, write your headlines. You don’t have to write one for each story, just the most interesting ones. Most bulletins will end with closing headlines as well.

Brief your presenter about the running order, when to expect soundbites and so on. Give them time to read the text through before they go live on air.

If you have a number of bulletins during the day, try to refresh the stories from bulletin to bulletin so they sound different each time. Stories have a shelf-life, but this can be extended by finding new angles, rewriting the introductions and so on.

Keep your listeners in mind at all times. They expect to hear the latest news in one place. It has to be accurate, timely, balanced, and interesting. Following these guidelines will help you to achieve this.

The post Editing radio news bulletins first appeared on Media Helping Media.

This is a short training module setting out the basics for creating a news package for radio. It’s been created for those starting out in radio journalism.

Technique – using sound to tell a story

• Imagine your voice going into a listener’s ear
• Use your voice expressively – plenty of variation
• The tone should be sympathetic to the story

Actuality – enriches your script

• Find good people to interview
• Look for complementary sounds which are relevant to the story
• If it’s a story about dogs, you need barking

Chronology – the evolution of the story

• Find out what has happened
• Uncover the who, why, when, where, and how of the story
• Ensure you understand fully all the elements

Atmosphere – sound effects

• Record enough wild track at the scene
• Wild track is background noise
• It’s useful because you may need it later in the editing process

Sensing – being there

• At the scene, explain what you are sensing
• Describe what can you see, hear, smell and touch
• Avoid explaining how YOU are feeling

Feeling – emotional impact

• Ask your interviewees what they feel
• Find out if they are afraid, sad, hopeful, happy
• What YOU feel doesn’t matter

Perspectives – what people think

• Seek out multiple perspectives
• Look for diverse voices
• Never ignore conflicting opinions

The so what factor – what happens next

• Find out what are the next steps
• Explain why those steps are important
• Note any future events & meetings for follow up purposes

Putting it together – sounds in harmony

• Use short clips from your wild track and interview
• Use your script to bind them together in a logical way
• Keep your links short

Technique – using sound to tell a story: Think of your voice as the primary instrument in your storytelling. It’s not just about conveying information; it’s about creating an intimate connection with the listener.

Imagine your voice traveling directly into their ear, painting pictures and evoking emotions.

Vary your pace, tone, and inflection to match the narrative. A somber story demands a different vocal approach than a celebratory one.

Authenticity is important; let your voice reflect the genuine emotion of the story. Consider vocal delivery coaches or exercises to develop a more expressive and engaging voice.

Actuality – the voice of reality: Actuality, the recorded sound of events and voices, is the lifeblood of radio news. It’s what separates radio from print. Don’t just tell the story; let the listener experience it.

Seek out interviewees who can offer unique insights and perspectives.

Beyond the obvious interview, capture ambient sounds – the “soundscape” of your story.

If it’s a story about dogs, barking is essential, but also consider the sounds of a dog park, a leash jingling, or even the soft panting of a contented canine. These details bring the story to life.

Chronology – the narrative arc: A compelling news package follows a clear narrative arc. Begin by establishing the core facts: who, what, when, where, and how.

But go beyond the surface. Uncover the why – the motivations, the context, the underlying issues. Understanding the chronology of events is crucial.

Think of it as building a timeline, ensuring each piece of the story fits logically. This thorough understanding allows you to guide the listener through the unfolding narrative.

Atmosphere – painting with sound: Wild track, or ambient sound, is more than just background noise; it’s the atmosphere that immerses the listener in the story. Record ample wild track at the scene.

Capture the subtle sounds – the murmur of a crowd, the rustle of leaves, the hum of traffic. These sounds can be invaluable during editing, allowing you to create smooth transitions, establish location, and enhance the overall listening experience.

Think of wild track as the sonic equivalent of establishing shots in film.

Sensing – immersive storytelling: Go beyond simply reporting; transport the listener to the scene. Describe what you are sensing – the sights, sounds, smells, and even textures.

What do you see as you walk through the marketplace? What do you hear above the din of the city? What do you smell in the aftermath of a fire?

These sensory details ground the listener in the reality of the story. While your personal feelings are less important, your observations are crucial.

Feeling – the emotional core: While your personal feelings are secondary, the emotions of those involved are paramount. Seek out the emotional core of the story by asking your interviewees how they feel.

Are they hopeful? Devastated? Angry? Their authentic emotions resonate with listeners and create a powerful connection.

Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions about their feelings, but do so with empathy and sensitivity.

Perspectives – a tapestry of voices: Strive for fairness by presenting multiple perspectives. Seek out diverse voices, even those that conflict with your own or the dominant narrative.

Presenting conflicting opinions is not about creating false equivalence; it’s about providing context and allowing the listener to draw their own conclusions.

Actively seek out marginalised voices and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked.

The “so what?” factor – relevance and impact: Every news story should answer the fundamental question: “So what?” Why should the listener care?

Explain the implications of the story and its potential impact on their lives or the community. What are the next steps? Are there future meetings, hearings, or events related to the story?

Highlight any follow-up opportunities for the listener. This provides closure and demonstrates the ongoing relevance of the story.

Putting it together – the art of audio weaving: Crafting a compelling news package is like composing a piece of music. You’re weaving together different elements – interviews, wild track, your narration – to create a cohesive and engaging whole.

Use short, impactful clips from your interviews and wild track. Your script serves as the glue that binds these elements together, providing context and narrative flow.

Keep your links – the segments where you speak – concise and focused. They should seamlessly bridge between the actuality and the ambient sound, guiding the listener through the story.

Editing is crucial. Pay attention to pacing, transitions, and the overall flow of the package.

A well-crafted package is more than just a collection of sounds; it’s a story told through sound, engaging the listener’s imagination and leaving a lasting impression.

Questions

1. What is the role of voice in storytelling according to the text?
2. How can actuality enhance a script?
3. Why is it important to find complementary sounds relevant to the story?
4. Describe the significance of chronology in storytelling.
5. What is the purpose of recording wild track at a scene?
6. How should a storyteller convey their sensory experiences at a scene?
7. Why is it important to focus on the interviewees’ feelings rather than the storyteller’s own emotions?
8. Explain the importance of seeking multiple perspectives in storytelling.
9. What is the “so what factor” and why is it crucial in storytelling?
10. How can a storyteller effectively integrate wild track and interview clips into a cohesive narrative?

Answers

1. The role of voice in storytelling is to use it expressively with plenty of variation, ensuring the tone is sympathetic to the story.
2. Actuality enriches a script by providing real-life sounds and voices that add authenticity and depth to the narrative.
3. Complementary sounds are important because they enhance the realism and engagement of the story, making it more relatable and vivid for the audience.
4. Chronology is significant because it helps in understanding the evolution of the story by uncovering the who, why, when, where, and how.
5. Recording wild track is useful because it provides background noise that can be used later in the editing process to create a more immersive atmosphere.
6. A storyteller should convey their sensory experiences by describing what they see, hear, smell, and touch, without focusing on their personal feelings.
7. Focusing on the interviewees’ feelings is important because it provides an authentic emotional impact and perspective, which is more relevant to the story.
8. Seeking multiple perspectives is important to ensure a balanced and comprehensive narrative that includes diverse voices and opinions.
9. The “so what factor” involves explaining the next steps and their importance, ensuring the story has relevance and a clear direction for future developments.
10. A storyteller can effectively integrate wild track and interview clips by using a script to bind them together logically, keeping the links short and coherent.

Lesson plan for trainers

If you are a trainer of journalists we have a free lesson plan: Constructing a radio news package which you are welcome to download and adapt for your own purposes.

You might want to read a related training module: How to write a radio news script.

How to write a radio news script

The post Constructing a news package for radio first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Putting together a radio news bulletin is like preparing a satisfying meal that leaves your audience nourished and prepared for the day; what you produce has to be balanced and digestible.

This training module was written for journalism students in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. They were studying broadcast journalism, and in particular creating radio news bulletins. Many of those attending the course had previously had no journalism experience or training.

Consider the listener

• You need to know who is tuning in for the information you are delivering and what they need to know. A local, region or national audience is not the same as an international audience. Each will have different needs, although all will require a mix of information. Your job is to focus on the news that is relevant to your regular listeners.
• Your top stories are not necessarily the biggest international stories of the day, although they could be. Your job, and the task of the news team you work with, is to focus on covering the issues that have the most impact on the lives of your target audience. These top stories will define how close your news organisation is to that audience.
• The audience will be listening for information that they can use. The stories you include in your bulletin must make up their staple diet of “must know” information. This story choice will reinforce your credibility as a relevant information provider in the minds of your audience. Ideally you should be stimulating a daily conversation about the issues that matter to your listeners.
• Putting the most important stories first guarantees that listeners who tune in for the start of your bulletin catch the most relevant news, even if they cannot listen to your entire bulletin.

Add variety

• Offer an information mix. Life is multi-coloured and multi-faceted, and so is news.
• If you are covering politics you must highlight how the issue affect the lives of your audience and not dwell on the politics alone. Always find someone affected by the issue and don’t just feature those in positions of power who are talking about the issue.
• If you are covering a corruption story it’s important that you talk to either the victims or carry out a vox pop in the street to try to find out what the general feeling is about the issue. Ideally, you should always try to include the voice of those affected by whatever the story is highlighting.
• Your audience will have a wide range of interests and concerns including health, education, jobs, homes, science and technology, culture, social developments, sports etc. Most of the time this means that you have to provide a mix of news, current affairs and other information items.

Your voice

• A voice that pleases is important for ensuring that the audience returns. Record a few of your bulletins and listen to them. Would you like to listen to that voice every day? If not, do something about it.
• Audio creates emotions. An attractive voice that catches the attention of the audience is important. The last thing you want is a grating voice that makes people switch off.
• Avoid the sing-song voice that plays the same tune for every sentence, going up in tone at the beginning of the sentence and then dropping down at the end regardless of what is being said.
• And never give the impression that you think you know more than the audience. There will be someone listening who knows far more than you. Never patronise.

Length

• Longer is not necessarily better. A seven-minute news bulletin is not going to be an improvement on five minutes if the extra two minutes are merely filler material.
• Try to imagine yourself in the place of the audience and think through what pressures they may be under.
• They will probably be doing other things as they listen. You are asking for their time and attention.

Speed

• Don’t rush. Make sure that your audience can understand what you are saying. Reading too quickly could result in your audience not being able to absorb the information you are sharing. You could end up becoming background noise.
• News readers often read fast when they are nervous or when they know that they are about to pronounce a name about which they are uncertain. If you know there is a foreign name coming up in the bulletin, highlight it and practice it until you are sure. Then approach it slowly, pause, and pronounce it clearly.
• A handy tip is to make a mark in your script where you need to take a breath and pause. These can help you when you come to reading the information.

Stale news

• Is your bulletin fresh, dynamic, and stimulating? Rewriting is essential. Many people will listen to several bulletins during the day.
• It’s important they are not served stale news that hasn’t been reworked. If you don’t refresh, your audience might think you are either not doing your journalistic job properly or you are being lazy.
• When you come out of the studio after reading the latest bulletin, rewrite all the top stories. Don’t just put the bulletin down and expect to pick it up again an hour later untouched and unchanged.
• If you have a news bulletin at the top of the hour and headlines on the half-hour, the headlines can’t just be shorter versions of the main bulletin. You will have to rework them and create a new headline that conveys the main point of the story and encourages people to stay tuned for the next bulletin.
• You can also use the half-hour bulletin to add stories that you could not include in the main bulletin. However, if you choose that kind of presentation format, make sure that you stick to this pattern so that your audience knows what to expect.
• Some stories could run in different formats in different bulletins. For example you could do a straight read of the information in one bulletin followed by a voice report and or an audio clip in another. Having several ways of telling the same story adds variety to your bulletin and gives you options and flexibility when constructing it.

Sound bites

• Sound bites are important. A longer news bulletin becomes a lot more attractive for the audience if you include short sound bites. This can be a five- or 10-second audio clip inserted in a voice report or a stand-alone 20- or 25-second clip.
• Such sound bites can make your bulletin easier to listen to, more authoritative (because you are including first-hand evidence) and, therefore, more credible. It’s also more interesting for the listener.
• However, all sounds have to have an editorial reason for being there. You should not fill with sound clips that distract because they don’t relate to the thrust of the information you are delivering.

Tell a short story

• Write news stories as if you were telling the story to a friend. This means: short, simple and straightforward sentences.
• The audience cannot go back and check what you said 10 seconds ago. (Well, they can if they record it or are listening online, but the majority will be listening on the move and won’t be able to rewind the bulletin.)
• You need to be clear, focused and memorable. Crafting complex information into simple sentences is a skill. Don’t obscure the essential facts with verbiage.

Effective packaging

• The bulletin should be a compilation of short but powerful stories. This format makes it easy for people to grasp the information.
• Writing for radio is one of the most challenging journalistic disciplines. The simple editorial rule about creating short, clear sentences with a subject, verb, and an object is essential.
• Don’t try to be clever with words. Use words that make the most sense and can be understood by all.
• Read through your bulletin several times. Shorten the sentences and replace complex concepts with simple terms that avoid any ambiguity or any possible misunderstanding.

Final points

• If you are putting together a longer bulletin (e.g. seven minutes or more), you may want to end the bulletin with a brief recap of the main stories. This can help audiences recall the top stories and/or other relevant information.
• If you don’t believe what you have written and what you are saying your audience won’t either; and what is more, they will not respect you for broadcasting information that anyone with average intelligence would not swallow.
• Make sure you are honest in how you describe situations and events, don’t over sensationalise. Your audience will know when you are going over the top and your credibility and integrity will be damaged if you do.

Questions

1. What is the primary goal of a radio news bulletin?
2. Why is it important to consider the audience when creating a radio news bulletin?
3. How should a journalist preparing a news bulletin handle political stories?
4. What role does the voice of the newsreader play in the effectiveness of a radio news bulletin?
5. Explain the significance of the length of a news bulletin.
6. How can a newsreader ensure clarity and comprehension when delivering a bulletin?
7. What is the importance of rewriting news stories for multiple bulletins throughout the day?
8. Describe the role of sound bites in a radio news bulletin.
9. How does the text suggest news stories should be written for radio?
10. What are the final points mentioned in the text regarding the credibility and integrity of a news bulletin?

Answers

1. The primary purpose of a radio news bulletin is to provide a balanced and digestible mix of information that nourishes and prepares the audience for the day.
2. Considering the audience is important because different audiences (local, regional, national, international) have different needs and interests, and the news should be relevant to the regular listeners.
3. The text suggests that political stories should highlight how the issues affect the lives of the audience, rather than focusing solely on the politics.
4. The voice of the newsreader is crucial as it creates emotions and can attract or repel the audience. An attractive and clear voice ensures the audience returns.
5. The length of a news bulletin should be concise and focused, avoiding unnecessary filler material, as the audience may be multitasking and have limited time.
6. A newsreader can ensure clarity by not rushing, practicing difficult pronunciations, and marking pauses in the script to maintain a steady pace.
7. Rewriting news stories is important to keep the bulletin fresh and dynamic, ensuring that the audience receives updated and relevant information.
8. Sound bites make the bulletin more engaging and credible by providing first-hand evidence and breaking up the monotony of a longer bulletin.
9. News stories for radio should be written in short, simple, and straightforward sentences to ensure clarity and memorability, as the audience cannot rewind.
10. The final points emphasise the importance of honesty, avoiding sensationalism, and maintaining credibility and integrity to ensure the audience respects and trusts the information provided.

The post How to produce a radio news bulletin first appeared on Media Helping Media.

Discover how to create concise, compelling TV and radio packages that capture audience attention and deliver key information effectively.

This training module was written for journalism students in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. They were studying broadcast journalism, and in particular creating news features for radio. Many of those attending the course had no previous journalism experience or training.

TV and radio packages

Structure, timing, and letting the interview breathe are all essential elements for ensuring a general TV or radio news package works.

These are the packages where you introduce the audience to an issue and explore multiple elements of the story through interviewing different people.

It’s also important not to cram too much into an item, perhaps just three points.

And try to avoid noddies (shots where you, the interviewer, nod and which are edited in later) and walking shots for TV, they are overused and boring.

Try to think of original shots and sounds that will capture the attention of the audience.

1. Clarity: Before you start, have a clear idea of how long your finished item is likely to be and roughly how much footage of your interviewees you are likely to use.
2. Format: Map out a structure for the piece and try to work out a likely order for the interview clips and which points they will address.
3. Main points: Try to limit yourself to three main points for one item.
4. Interviewees: Make sure each of these three points is addressed by a different interviewee.
5. Review: Listen or watch the interview in full from start to finish at least once in order to ensure you haven’t missed anything. Take notes of the time on the recording of each potential interview clip, the words that begin the clip and the words that end it.
6. Coherence: When you have repeated the process for all the interviews in your piece, return to the structure you have mapped out and see if it is still coherent or if the order of interviewees needs to change.
7. Strength: Try to put the strongest interview near the start of the piece.
8. Selection: When you are selecting interview clips, choose ones which give opinion over ones which relay only information; information which is not controversial can easily be summarised by you in your linking commentary.
9. Pace: Try to leave a pause at the start and end of each clip. Life isn’t breathless; neither should a radio or television package be.
10. Clichés: In television avoid using noddies and walking shots to illustrate your material. They are the mind-numbingly boring to look at and do not make best use of the medium.
11. Editing: Avoid cutting excessively from the answer (such as taking one part of three seconds from the start of an answer, three seconds from the middle, and five from the end). This sounds and looks unnatural, misrepresents the interviewee, and is excessively difficult to process for television interviews.
12. Context: Never take an answer from one question and use it in response to another. This is gross misrepresentation.
13. Commentary: When you are writing commentary to link the clips together, try to avoid using the same words at the end of your text as the interviewee says in the beginning of the clip ie. : John Smith said he was delighted.. [John Smith] “I am delighted …”
14. Summaries: In TV and radio journalism, your package may often be mentioned in a news bulletin in the form of a clip before its broadcast slot. When writing the introduction for that clip, avoid summarising everything that is going to feature in the clip.
15. Positioning: In television reports, try to stick to the convention of alternate interviewees being on opposite sides of the screen. (First interviewee looking left to right, second right to left, third left to right etc.)
16. Voices: Try to avoid running two clips back to back without a commentary in between. Where this is unavoidable, for example in the case of vox pops, try to alternate between male and female voices. The reason for this is to avoid confusion.
17. Titles: Always make sure that you have the correct title for your interviewee and the correct spelling of their name. This is particularly important for TV captions. If they have a particularly long job title, agree a shortened version before you return from the interview.
18. Ending: Try to avoid ending a report with a clip of one of the interviewees. In TV this looks untidy. In radio, it complicates life for the studio presenter. It also gives one side or another of an argument the last word.
19. Answers: If you are editing an interview as a stand-alone item, try to put as much of the non-controversial information in the intro or lead-in to the item, and always make sure the intro ends with a question and the piece begins with an answer to that question.
20. Options: For stand-alone interviews, always give an option of an early ending, with a shorter duration and the right out-words. This will help the production team in case more urgent news breaks or they need to cut back your item.

Questions

1. What are the essential elements for creating effective TV or radio news packages?
2. Why is it important to limit the number of main points in a TV or radio package?
3. How should interview clips be selected to enhance the quality of a news package?
4. What is the significance of leaving pauses at the start and end of each interview clip?
5. How can the coherence of a news package be ensured during the editing process?
6. Why should noddies and walking shots be avoided in television packages?
7. What are the potential consequences of excessive editing in interview clips?
8. How should commentary be crafted to effectively link interview clips together?
9. What is the recommended positioning for interviewees in television reports, and why is it important?
10. How can a stand-alone interview be structured to accommodate potential changes in broadcast timing?

Answers

1. Structure, timing, and allowing the interview to breathe are essential elements.
2. Limiting main points helps maintain clarity and focus, preventing information overload.
3. Select clips that provide opinions rather than just information to engage the audience.
4. Pauses create a natural flow and prevent the package from feeling rushed.
5. Review the structure and order of interviewees to ensure logical progression and coherence.
6. They are overused, boring, and do not make the best use of the medium.
7. Excessive editing can misrepresent the interviewee and make the package difficult to process.
8. Avoid repeating words from the end of the commentary and the start of the clip to maintain flow.
9. Alternate interviewees on opposite sides of the screen to avoid visual monotony.
10. Include an option for an early ending with appropriate out-words for flexibility in broadcast timing.

The post How to create a broadcast news package first appeared on Media Helping Media.