A news flash is a short piece of breaking news that updates the audience on topics that affect them. It can be local, national or international and can include both hard and soft news. A good news flash starts with a compelling headline that accurately and enticingly conveys what the story is about. It then focuses on the most important details and includes a nut graph that ties them into a bigger picture to show why they matter. Finally, it cites its sources and includes a forward-looking element that shows how the topic may continue to impact.
A good newsflash can be delivered using a straightforward approach if the subject matter is hard or a narrative style if it’s a human interest story. However, the newsflash’s briefness forces it to skate over some of the details; only major stories belong in this type of article. It is also not the place to present an opinion on the subject, but rather to deliver facts about it.
Newsflashes are often a crucial element of an evening or midday bulletin, and they can be a powerful way to introduce a topic. They can also be used to introduce an issue that will be developed in greater depth later on – for example, the promise of a reshuffle by the new US president. This could then be followed by a further newsflash about the implications of that reshuffle. It would then be appropriate to add a brief soundbite from the politician, or a voicer – a funny anecdote or quote – to conclude the newsflash.
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