adminA newsflash is a short piece of breaking news that interrupts radio or television broadcasts. It can be about local, national or international issues and is a way to keep your audience updated on topics that affect them. A good news flash should start with a powerful headline that accurately and enticingly reflects what the article is about. It should then follow with a lead paragraph that fleshes out the headline, citing its sources as necessary. It should then include a nut graph that ties the facts introduced in the lead into a bigger picture and explains why they matter to your audience.
Because a newsflash is short, it has to skate over some details and only major stories belong in this type of article. Also, a newsflash should not offer opinion or analysis; rather it should present facts about what is happening right now.
Lastly, a newsflash should announce any news that will be developed at length in your midday or evening bulletin (promoting the newsroom’s work). It is also important to give out practical information like traffic and weather, or highlight something humorous or entertaining for the sake of the audience’s mood (called a kicker).
A newsflash usually lasts between one and three minutes. If you’re not sure how to write a compelling newsflash, use this checklist to guide your writing:
