The term world news generally refers to coverage of current international events (though it may also cover domestic stories of a foreign origin) by newspaper, magazine or radio/TV broadcasters. This field of journalism is distinct from national news (although the distinction between world and national news is often blurred, especially in the case of major world events such as wars or summits). World news coverage is usually the province of a foreign correspondent, who is a full-time reporter with a news source stationed in a particular country, region or continent. A correspondent often carries out his or her duties from the local headquarters of an international news organization, but may be dispatched to a remote location for special reporting (for example, during a war).
Aside from regular news coverage, many world news programs feature a variety of specialty segments. These can include a look at the history of a specific region, interviews with prominent foreign political or cultural figures, or even bizarre reports on such topics as aliens and the supernatural.
Occasionally, a viewer will send an e-mail to the anchors of world news, and their responses may be aired on the program. These e-mails are generally accompanied by a head-shot of the sending anchor, inserted into a graphic of the original set’s rafters and monitors.
In the past, the three ABC stations owned by Citadel Communications – KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa; KLKN-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska; and WOI-DT in Ames, Iowa – often preempted World News Now to air a simulcast of the cable home shopping network Jewelry Television. Earlier, Citadel’s WLNE-TV in New Bedford, Massachusetts did the same for the same reason.
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