World news is a term used in the media to refer to news from abroad, or about global subjects. This type of news can be sent by foreign correspondents, or – more commonly in recent times – can be gathered or compiled by reporters or journalists at home, using distance communication technologies such as telephone or satellite TV.
There is often a blurred line between world news and national or domestic news, particularly in the United States where there are frequently events of international importance that impact the country directly (such as wars with which the nation is involved). Some notable subfields within world news include conflict journalism, where reporters are sent to war zones, and international politics coverage, where the nuances of different political systems can be studied.
Reporters who regularly cover world news, often with a single publication or organization, are called correspondents. When a correspondent is employed on a permanent basis by a particular news source, they are considered full-time foreign correspondents. Reporters who travel to a variety of locations on a freelance basis, and produce stories for several news outlets at once, are known as stringers. There are also a number of news agencies that prepare hard news stories and other pieces, which they sell in bulk to other news outlets (originally by telegraphy; today, often electronically). These news agencies are often referred to as wire services.