World news is the jargon used in journalism to describe global news either sent by foreign correspondents or, more recently, gathered or researched using distance communication technologies such as satellite TV and the internet. It’s a vital source of news for many audiences, as it offers a window into the wider world and can provide context to local events.

A flurry of activity on the global stage will test publishers in 2022, including further ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued crackdown on dissent in Russia, and the resurgence of the anti-vax movement which has led to some journalists being physically attacked. Publishers will also be tackling more complex and difficult issues, such as climate change and artificial intelligence, which require a broad range of skills and approaches to tackle well.

AI will be a key tool in the newsroom this year, with some publishers already making use of it to automate the generation of short articles and summary content for social media. Others are developing hybrid editorial forms that mix long-form stories with a variety of image and text-led treatments for skimmers, and to help readers keep up with fast-moving events. In addition, a number of digital-born start-ups have used AI to create automated captions for picture galleries. Expect to see these techniques become more mainstream in the year ahead, with more companies experimenting with how they can be used to engage remote audiences. Meanwhile, some publishers will be trying to move away from the dystopian narrative of much climate reporting – a subject which the majority of respondents in our survey said was not covered well enough.