Newsflash is a short piece of journalism that interrupts radio or TV broadcasts to bring in the latest headlines. It usually includes a brief summary of major events in the world, but can also contain lighter news stories like the weather forecast or an interview with an expert. A good newsflash has a strong lead that captures the audience’s attention and follows the inverted pyramid style of reporting by introducing the most important facts first and then adding supporting information. It should also cite its sources and finish with a forward-looking element to give the piece oomph and direction.
The lead is the most important part of a news flash because it is your chance to catch people’s attention and set the scene for your story. Ideally it will use a narrative hook or anecdote to encapsulate the main subject in a creative way and draw the reader in so they keep listening to your full article.
Ideally a newsflash should be brief, limiting the amount of text it can cover to between 6 and 10 news items. It is not the place for in-depth reports, detailed analysis, or personal opinions on an issue; it’s simply the opportunity to let listeners know about what is going on in the world at that moment.
A news flash is often accompanied by a nut graph, which adds context and ties the facts you have introduced in your lead together to explain why they are important. It should also ideally use the “show, don’t tell” technique – for example instead of telling the audience Johnny ran up the hill, show them his legs were aching and he was struggling to catch his breath as he climbed up the steep path.
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