A news flash is a short piece of breaking news that interrupts radio or TV programming and updates listeners on current events. It can be local, national or international and is a great way to keep your audience informed about issues that directly affect them.
The first paragraph of a news flash is known as the lead, and it’s your chance to grab readers’ attention and draw them into the story. It should be powerful and often utilizes a narrative hook or anecdote to simultaneously capture readers’ interest and entice them to learn more about the topic. The lead should also flesh out any additional details that need to be conveyed and cite the source. It’s a good idea to include a nut graph that ties the facts introduced in your lead into a bigger picture and explain why they matter. Finally, it’s a good idea to include ‘forward-looking’ sentences that zoom out from the specifics of the article and show how it will continue to be relevant in the future.
A news flash does not present developed stories, but can give out practical information like traffic or weather or even highlight something funny or entertaining (a kicker). It can also be a great opportunity to introduce a story that will be developed at length in a later bulletin (promotion). It is important to remember that a news flash should only be used to relay the latest news. Ideally, it will be no more than three minutes long and should follow the inverted pyramid style by conveying the most important information at the top of the article.