A news flash is a piece of breaking news that interrupts radio or TV programming and updates listeners on current events. It can be local, national or international and may include a mix of hard and soft news. A good newsflash should convey facts, not opinion or analysis. It should follow the inverted pyramid style, conveying the most important information at the top of the story and revealing more details as you go along. It should also cite its sources and use quotes from experts or witnesses to lend credibility to the article.
During a newsflash, the anchor can only broadcast between 6 and 10 news items so it is imperative to deliver these stories in a clear, concise and compelling manner. The most important thing is to catch the audience’s attention, which can be challenging in today’s media environment where there is a glut of information. The best way to do this is to write a strong lead, using a narrative hook or anecdote that encapsulates the subject in a creative and interesting manner. The lead should then be fleshed out, incorporating a nut graph that ties the facts introduced in the lead to a bigger picture to show its significance and direction.
Finally, a newsflash should point out any story that will be developed at great length during the midday or evening bulletin (as a kind of promo for the station’s work) and give out practical info – traffic, weather, a summary of a decree… Lastly, if the situation warrants it, a newsflash can end with a piece of humorous news (a kicker). This gives the listeners a chance to break from the seriousness of the event with a smile on their face.
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