A news flash is a short piece of breaking news. It can only contain copy, not a picture or video, and typically lasts between one and three minutes. It is also called a special report or a “special news bulletin.” The anchor must give the audience the latest developments on an issue, without going into deep analysis. Only major stories belong in a newsflash.
A good news flash starts with an interesting angle that grabs the reader’s attention. This could be a dramatic anecdote, a surprising fact or an important breaking news update. It is often helpful to follow the inverted pyramid structure, which means starting with the most important details and adding more information as you go along. The nut graph is a good place to begin, because it will explain the significance of your story by answering the questions who, what, when, where and why.
The rest of the story may expand on the nut graph, using quotes from people involved or expert sources. The reporter should avoid jargon and make the language easy to understand for all readers. A newsflash should end with something memorable, such as a forward-looking line on what’s next for an issue or a kicker that is humorous in nature. It is a good idea to include a call to action for the reader. This will often increase the likelihood of a story being shared on social media.