World news is the term in the news media for news that relates to international events or issues. This is a separate category from national news, which covers events that affect the citizenry of a specific country or region. In most countries, this category also includes news that does not directly concern a single government or other national institution, although there is often a blurring of the line between national and world news when it comes to war journalism or the activities of multinational organizations (such as the United Nations).
The main specialized fields within world news include foreign reporting, which is the branch of journalism that deals with events that occur outside a reporter’s home country. This is typically covered by a correspondent, who is a full-time reporter stationed in a city abroad (often the capital of a country) and who regularly files stories to his or her news editor at a local newspaper or other news source. Correspondents may gather material for their reports from sources in the community, in the local media and from events that they personally witness.
There is also a subfield of world news called “wire service” journalism, which involves the preparation of articles in bulk by news agencies and the sale of these articles to various news outlets in different countries or regions. These services were originally provided by telegraphy but now are mostly electronic, with most being distributed via the Internet. Corporations, individual journalists and intelligence agencies may also subscribe to wire services.
