newsflash

British  

/ ˈnjuːzˌflæʃ /

noun

1. a brief item of important news, often interrupting a radio or television programme

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Explanation

On television or the radio, a newsflash is an important, timely piece of news that's delivered quickly. If a tornado is headed for your city, your favorite soap opera will be interrupted by a newsflash. Some news bulletins take the form of a "news crawler" or "ticker," a line of type that scrolls across the bottom of your TV screen. A newsflash is different, because it actually interrupts whatever show you're watching. The information conveyed in a newsflash is seen as being important enough for viewers to take a quick break, so that they don't miss it.

Example Sentences

"All of us in Congress receive death threats. I don't know if that's a newsflash for anybody here," Republican Representative Scott Perry said.

From Reuters • Oct. 20, 2023

It was something of a newsflash: The defending Super Bowl champion Rams executed an effective rushing attack.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2022

In the days before rolling news channels or the internet, the first the audience would hear of a huge story was often through a television newsflash.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2022

“For some people, they’re not plugged into their phones 24/7, and they don’t care much about getting the newsflash at 3:30 in the afternoon.”

From Washington Post • Nov. 7, 2021

S. L. and his wife of Los Angeles, California, tuned to The Mercury Theatre in time to hear the newsflash about the meteor.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow