World news is the term used in journalism for coverage of international issues or events. It is a subfield of news that is separate from national (home) news and covers either a specific country or global subjects. It has been one of the main areas for foreign or “international” journalism since the 19th century, when innovations in telecommunications made it easier for news to be spread around the globe. World news often comes from foreign correspondents or – more recently – from news agencies.

The major news agencies – like the AP, Reuters and the BBC – prepare hard news stories and feature articles that are sold to newspapers and radio or television stations. These companies also sell the same material to other organizations such as governments and corporations. The bulk of the material produced by news agencies is world news.

In the earliest days of modern journalism, most news was foreign, as registered in the courants of 17th-century Europe (papers that listed international news from other markets). The advent of nation-states allowed newspapers to become more focused on domestic issues, but world news was still important to readers.

Today, the main source of world news is the press, but some news can also be gathered through other means such as the Internet, satellite TV and phone networks. A number of different types of reporters work abroad, but the two main ones are the foreign correspondent (a full-time reporter based in a foreign city) and the special envoy (sent abroad to cover an event such as a war). They may be paid employees of their media outlet or freelancers.