A news bulletin is a short summary of the important news stories of the day. It is presented on radio or television, usually at the same time as other news programmes. It should be carefully written and constructed, taking into account the fact that it is being broadcast in a linear way over time. It is also essential that the pace of stories in a bulletin is right for the audience.
The pace of a story depends on how complex the ideas are, and how quickly listeners need to get them. A report of a fire, for example, will usually be shorter than a report on some complicated political controversy, because the former is more straightforward and needs to be delivered at a faster pace.
Radio news stories must be clear and simple to ensure they are understandable and memorable, because the audience cannot rewind. Using short snappy sentences is one way to achieve this, and avoiding words that can be misinterpreted or interpreted in different ways.
It is a good idea to use grabs, which are brief sound clips, to make the bulletin more interesting for listeners. They can be a real help in building credibility, by including first-hand evidence, and they can break up the pace of a long section of reading by one voice.
You should always try to give the most important stories prominent positions in a bulletin. However, if the dramatic news of a major disaster or accident comes in while you are still running a light story, then you must drop the light story and move on to the main news item.