What Is World News?

World news is the jargon used by journalists to describe international events, as opposed to national (news about the nation) or local (news about a city) stories. It can also refer to the global news coverage provided by a news agency, which is an organization of reporters that prepares hard news and feature articles in bulk that is sold to individual newspapers, magazines, radio and television broadcasters, as well as corporations and intelligence agencies.

A correspondent based in a foreign city covers a region, country or sometimes even an entire continent and files stories regularly to the news editor. This is a full-time job that requires specialized skills and knowledge of the field. Correspondents often work with local officials, members of the military and other experts in their area to obtain information. When reporters working abroad do not have a permanent labor contract with a media company they are known as stringers and may produce materials for several companies at once. For example, a stringer for a European news service may sell articles to the New York Times or London Times as well as provide news to the AP.