A national news story is one that concerns a matter of importance to the entirety of a country. Historically, national news has included political issues like elections and legislative actions, as well as international relations. It also encompasses economic matters including business trends, job losses, and stock market performance. Other areas of national news include public safety, social issues, and natural disasters.
The nature of national news changes with technological advancements. In the 19th century, for instance, telegraph and faster printing presses allowed newspapers to be distributed outside of major cities. By the 1920s, radio had entered the fold of American journalism. The emergence of television in the 1950s and the internet in the 1990s marked further shifts in national media. Today, social media allows localized events to gain national visibility rapidly and to be reported almost instantaneously. This can blur the distinction between what is considered a local issue and what is a national issue.
The way that a nation perceives its national news may differ by political affiliation and age. For example, younger adults tend to be more likely than older Americans to say that they trust news outlets viewed as liberal, such as MSNBC and Comedy Central. Meanwhile, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say that they trust conservative-leaning national news sources, such as Fox News and Breitbart. This may have an impact on how local and national news stories are selected and presented to different audiences.
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