A newsflash is a short news item that interrupts radio or television broadcasting to bring in breaking stories. It differs from a bulletin, which develops a story at length. A newsflash usually lasts between one and three minutes.
The most important aspect of a newsflash is its attention-grabbing start, which can be a narrative flash lede or a nut graph (see below). A compelling lead captures the reader’s interest and entices them to read on. It must cite facts and explain why the story matters. It also ties the facts to the bigger picture, to show that the story is part of a trend or development that will have future relevance.
It’s important to keep in mind the adage “show, don’t tell.” A narrative flash lede uses a dramatic anecdote to grab readers’ attention and hint at the weightier argument and evidence that will be presented in the rest of the article. A nut graph, on the other hand, zooms out from the details of a story to its overall significance and direction.
A good newsflash leads readers through the facts and then to a nut graph that explains why this information is important. It’s then important to include a jump line (see below) that directs readers to the page where a story continues. This can be as simple as a line of type at the top of an article that states the page on which it is continued, or it can refer to a specific URL.
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