A news flash is a brief piece of breaking news that interrupts regular programming on radio or television. It can cover local, national or international events and is a good way to keep your audience informed about current affairs. It can be hard or soft news and is usually presented in a straightforward manner. Unlike a news crawler or ticker that scrolls on the bottom of your screen, a newsflash is delivered live and requires your audience to tune in.
A good newsflash should begin with a compelling lead that accurately and enticingly conveys what the story is about. It should follow the inverted pyramid style of journalism – presenting the most important details first – and cite its sources. It should also end with a forward-looking element that shows how the story will affect people in the future.
Since a newsflash is short, it will naturally skate over some of the details – only major stories belong in this part of your broadcast. However, it is still a great opportunity to announce a story that will be developed at length during the midday or evening bulletin (promoting your newsroom’s work). Newsflashes are limited to 6 to 10 news items so you must be concise and bring the facts to your audience.