The newsflash is a short piece of breaking news that updates your audience on current events. It can be local, national or international and can include a mix of hard and soft news. Newsflashes are a great way to keep your audience informed about developments that are happening and can be a precursor to other stories in the newscast.
The most important thing to remember when writing a news flash is that it should be factual, not opinion based. Using narrative hooks or anecdotes is a great way to capture your reader’s attention and entice them to read the full story. The first paragraph of the newsflash is called the lead and it’s your chance to grab your audience’s attention. A compelling lead can make or break the success of the newsflash and it should accurately convey what the article is about. It is also a good idea to use the inverted pyramid style of introducing the most important details first and then adding more detail as you go along. Lastly, the newsflash should include a nut graph to add context and show the importance of the topic.
A newsflash is often interrupted on television and radio, for example if a tornado is threatening a city it will interrupt your favourite soap opera. This is because the public considers a newsflash to be more serious than a ticker or a scrolling headline. Newsflashes are often developed into a more in depth story during the midday and evening newscasts.
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