World news is the term in media jargon for news from abroad. It can also refer to coverage of a global subject such as terrorism, politics or the environment. The field can include the work of foreign correspondents or – as is more common now – reports filed by staff at the headquarters of news agencies based outside their home countries.
A foreign correspondent is a full-time reporter employed by a news source, usually in the office of a national newspaper or broadcaster. A foreign correspondent can cover a region, country or continent and regularly files stories to his or her editor. The material may be from events he or she witnesses or from strategic sources among diplomats, members of the military and others in the local community.
A correspondent based in another country is often known as a special envoy. In many cases, special envoys do not have a permanent contract with the news source and are sometimes hired on an as-needed basis. These reporters, whose income is supplemented by freelance work or other jobs, are sometimes called stringers. The bulk of the work produced by the major news agencies is foreign news. They send stories in bulk to multiple subscribers, including newspapers and TV and radio outlets. In the past, this was done through telegraph services, but now most of the work is transmitted electronically. The AP, for example, has a subscriber base that includes not only news organizations, but universities, corporations and governments.
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