A news flash is a short piece of breaking news that interrupts radio or television and provides listeners with information about current events. The news flash may be local, national or international in scope. It is similar to a bulletin, but it does not offer developed stories and instead focuses on providing the audience with the latest news developments in the fastest time possible.
Often, a good news flash will begin with an attention-grabbing headline that accurately and enticingly reflects what the article is about. This is known as the lead. The lead should use a narrative hook or anecdote to entice readers and draw them into the article. It should also cite any additional details that need to be conveyed and include a forward-looking element to show how the topic will continue to affect people.
Next, the newsflash will provide the reader with a nut graph, which adds context and ties the facts introduced in the lead into a bigger picture to show why they are important. The newsflash should also follow the inverted pyramid style, which means presenting the most significant facts first and then revealing more detailed information as you go along. Ideally, the newsflash should also use the “show don’t tell” technique, which involves using descriptions to give a sense of what happened rather than simply listing the facts. This will help readers connect with the story and will also increase the reader’s trust in your reporting.