World news is international news that covers events outside the boundaries of a single country. In some countries, such as the United States, there is a clear distinction between world news and national news (news that concerns the government or people of a nation). In other nations, the line between the two types of news may be blurry, especially when it comes to war or issues involving belligerent countries.
The term “world news” is also used for reports on the activities of global organizations, such as the United Nations and NATO. In addition, news agencies that provide information to many different publications (magazines, newspapers, radio and television) are considered world news sources. These agencies prepare hard news stories and feature articles that can be used in different publications with little or no modification, and they then sell them in bulk via wire services (originally telegraphy; now the Internet). Corporations, individuals, analysts and intelligence agencies sometimes subscribe to these services.
A reporter who specializes in foreign reporting is called a correspondent. A correspondent is a full-time reporter stationed in a city or country and files regular reports to the news editor of a publication. He or she typically gathers the material for these reports by interviewing officials, members of the public and local media, as well as from events that he or she personally witnesses. Correspondents often work for a single publication but are sometimes freelancers or contract employees who produce news for multiple companies.
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