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Writing a radio bulletin

Structure each story by using the ‘top line’– the most important and interesting part of each story – to hook the audience in.

Remember, the listener only has one chance to absorb what you’re saying, so your words must be easily understood. Keep your language simple and stay as close as possible to normal speech.

Don’t use convoluted phrases or complicated words: keep it short, sharp and to-the-point. When a sentence gets too long, split it up. This will also help you stick to the correct timing: a crucial thing in radio.

Avoid beginning stories with dull phrases like ‘The government said’ or ‘A survey suggests’. So, rather than say: ‘The Fire Brigade Union has said that proposals to close some bases at the weekend and reduce opening hours could lead to a loss of lives…’ say: ‘Lives could be lost if plans to cut fire station opening hours are approved, firefighters have said’.

Select the most interesting quotations to use as audio clips. Not every story needs one. Remember to attribute quotations by introducing who is speaking: anonymous voices will confuse listeners.

Don’t use acronyms - not everyone knows that NICE stands for National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.