Alerts Redesign: Prioritized, Simplified, Streamlined

New Update (Aug 2025): We’ve introduced auto-expiration for all newly created alerts, helping keep notifications timely and relevant. A default duration is applied by alert type and shown in the “Expires” field, though producers can override it if needed. Refer to the warning section below for each alert type’s default duration.

We’ve redesigned our alerts experience to prioritize urgent updates, reduce user fatigue, and streamline general announcements across web and app platforms.

This redesign enhances usability, improves content efficiency, and ensures that critical alerts get the visibility they deserve — especially on smaller screens.

What's New:

  • Urgent Alerts
    • Updated Types: Now includes Breaking, Weather, Radar, Live Events, School Closings, and new Election Results.
    • UI Enhancements: Compact design for better visibility.
    • Placement:
      • Web / Mobile Web: Top of the page.
      • Mobile Apps: Minimized bar at bottom (expandable by user).
    • Auto-Expiration:
      • Breaking News - 2 hours
      • Live Event - 4 hours
      • Radar - 4 hours
      • School Closure - 6 hours
      • Weather - 4 hours

      • Elections - 12 hours

         

  • General Announcements
    • Reclassified: General alerts are now “Announcements.”
    • Placement:
      • Desktop: Right column, below first ad.
      • Mobile Apps: Below Top News.
    • Design: Supports up to 3 items, each with:
      • Image
      • Linked headline
      • Secondary link
    • Auto-Expiration: 1 week

Storyline Updates: General Announcements, Elections Alert, and UI Changes

A few updates on the Storyline side: General Alerts have been renamed to General Announcements and will now appear in a different location on the audience view. The Town Hall alert type has been removed, and a new Elections alert type has been added.

General Announcements

General Announcements include a limited set of fields: an image, a linked headline, and one optional secondary link.

We're also introducing automatic expiration based on the alert type. When an alert is created, a default expiration is automatically applied and shown in the ‘Expires’ field on the right rail, starting from the time it’s set. Producers can override this setting and enter a custom expiration time if needed, but by default, each alert type now includes a predefined expiration to help keep content timely and reduce manual cleanup.

Breaking News - 2 hours
Live Event - 4 hours
Radar - 4 hours
School Closure - 6 hours
Weather - 4 hours
Elections - 12 hours
General Announcement - 1 week

Audience View

Urgent Alerts

  • The list of urgent alert types has been updated to include: Breaking, Weather, Radar, School Closings, Live Event, and Election Results (new).
  • Urgent alerts now have a more compact and enhanced UI.
  • On mobile, they will appear as a minimized bar by default, with an option for users to expand and view more information.

Breaking News Alerts 

School Closure Alerts

Weather/Radar Alerts

Live Alerts

Election Alerts

General Announcements

  • General alerts/announcements are now displayed separately from urgent alerts.
  • On desktop, they will appear in the right column below the first ad; on mobile, they will display below the Top News section.
  • This new component supports up to three announcements and includes an image, a linked headline, and one secondary link.