A news flash, also known as a newsflash or special report, is a short piece of breaking news that updates listeners on current events. It can be local, national or international and may include a mix of hard and soft news. A good newsflash starts with a compelling headline that accurately and enticingly conveys the story and explains why it matters. It then fleshes out the details, using the inverted pyramid style to present the most important facts first and revealing more detail later. It also includes a nut graph, which adds context and ties the main points into a larger picture to show their significance and direction.
Because of their briefness, newsflashes have to skate over many details; only the major stories belong here. They are not the place for opinion, but rather a way to relay the latest information about a topic to the audience. A newsflash can be presented in a straightforward, factual manner if the subject matter is serious or it can use a narrative tone if it’s about a human interest story.
Most radio stations have a newsflash every hour and 24-hour information radio has them several times an hour. The timing is up to the station, as is whether it’s necessary to have a newsflash every half hour or even every quarter of an hour. If the story is especially big or if it’s a topic that’s likely to continue to be relevant, it might be worth presenting a newsflash multiple times an hour.