Often called international news or foreign news, world news is the general term for news stories that are not of a local nature. At the birth of modern journalism in the 17th century, most news was foreign, as registered by courants (newspapers of the day) in Western Europe: The Daily Courant (England), the Nieuwe Tijudinger (Antwerp), the Relation (Strasbourg) and the Avisa Relation oder Zeitung (Wolfenbuttel). Early innovations in telecommunications allowed newspapers to spread across national boundaries, however, and the bulk of the major news agencies still contain mostly foreign news reports today.

A journalist who specializes in world news typically covers one or more countries, and regularly files stories to the news editor of his/her employer’s newspaper. These reporters are known as correspondents, and they usually stay in touch with members of the community they are covering to gather information, as well as with officials, diplomats and military personnel who may be strategic sources for important stories.

The specialized world news reporter also often acts as an ambassador for the media outlet he/she works for, meeting with local government, community and business leaders in order to build relationships that may help facilitate future stories. In the United States, it is sometimes difficult to make a clear distinction between world news and “national” news, as many news events affect the entire nation. This is particularly true of war coverage and events involving multilateral organizations that the United States is a member of.