A news flash is a short piece of breaking news that interrupts radio or TV broadcasts to update audiences on the latest topics of interest. It can be local, national or international and often includes a mix of hard and soft news stories. A good newsflash starts with a powerful headline that accurately and enticingly reflects what the story is about, followed by a lead paragraph that explains why the topic matters. Then, it ties the facts introduced in the lead into a bigger picture to show how significant or influential the subject matter is and what direction it’s heading in. Finally, a newsflash should include a quote from an expert or witness to add credibility and perspective.
Because of its short duration, a newsflash has to skate over some details and only major stories belong here. It’s also not the place to give an opinion on the subject; rather, it should simply relay factual information about a topic to readers.
The first sentence is the most important part of a newsflash; it’s your chance to catch readers’ attention and draw them into your article. Ideally, this is achieved through the use of a narrative hook or anecdote that simultaneously captures readers’ interest and entices them to keep reading. Similarly, a newsflash should always use the “show, don’t tell” technique to illustrate the story. For example, instead of merely telling readers that Johnny ran up the hill, you should show them how his legs were burning and he was struggling to catch his breath as he climbed up.
