World news is a broad term used in journalism to refer to international stories, which are stories that occur outside of the boundaries of individual nation-states. It is a subfield of general reporting and can include coverage of global events such as war (although much of the reporting about war may be considered national for the media of belligerent countries), summits, or natural disasters. World news is the primary focus of most international broadcasters and major newspaper networks, although some may devote substantial coverage to domestic or regional events.
In terms of specific reporting, the term is usually used to refer to work done by foreign correspondents or – less commonly – international editors who have full-time jobs at a particular news source. It can also be applied to reports from news agencies, which generally prepare hard news stories and features for sale to multiple clients, often newspapers but sometimes radio and television stations and even private individuals, as well as news services or intelligence agencies. These articles may be sold individually or in bulk and are distributed via a wire service, originally by telegraphy but now most often over the Internet. When reporters working abroad have no permanent labor contract with a news outlet, they are sometimes called stringers.
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