A news flash is a short piece of breaking news that updates listeners on current events. It can be local, national or international and is an excellent way to keep audiences updated on issues that impact them. Newsflashes can be hard or soft, but are not the place to bring in opinion or analysis.
They usually last between one and three minutes, so they need to be brief. This requires newswriters to skate over the details and focus on conveying the most important information first. A good newsflash starts with an attention-grabbing headline that accurately and enticingly reflects what the story is about. It then includes a lead that explains why this issue matters. The lead is also an opportunity to use a narrative hook or anecdote to capture readers’ interest and entice them to keep listening. Finally, it’s a great opportunity to add a nut graph that ties the main points together to show their significance and direction.
Newsflashes are often broadcast in the form of a crawler or ticker on television and radio and can interrupt any programme, including soaps, sports or talk shows. They are also a common feature of 24-hour information radio. In addition, some news websites have their own versions of newsflashes that are a mixture of hard and soft stories.