How to Write a News Alert

A news alert, also known as a media/news advisory, is an announcement of a present or upcoming event, intended specially for journalists. Its purpose is to convince reporters that the event is a genuine news story and worth coverage.

Google Alerts monitor the web for content, including news articles, blogs, and scientific research that contain your chosen keywords or phrases. When new results are published, Google will send you an email notification. This service is especially useful for businesses, allowing them to monitor mentions of their names, brands, products, or services online.

Using a search term, you can filter the types of content you want to receive notifications about, including news articles, blogs, videos, and scientific research. You can also filter by language and region to get more focused results. You can choose to receive alerts immediately, daily, weekly or monthly.

Breaking news alerts are great for spreading the word about an important event or issue. However, overusing them can cause alert fatigue and negatively affect audience trust. It’s best to limit breaking news alerts to a few per day from trusted sources like the AP or BBC News to avoid information overload and ensure your news is accurate.

Writing a news alert requires a clear, concise tone that highlights key points of the story and is free from opinionated language or speculation. It is recommended to follow AP style when creating your news alert as it is the most widely used and recognized journalistic writing standard in the world.