World news is the term used to describe international news, and may also be referred to as foreign news. It is the branch of journalism that covers events that have a global impact and focuses on countries outside one’s own, but it can sometimes also cover news from multilateral organizations such as the UN.
The earliest newspapers of the 17th century recorded world events and they were often called “foreign news.” As advances in telecommunications made it easier to disseminate articles, more foreign news appeared in print. Later, the first news agencies like Reuters (UK), AFP (France) and Wolff (now DPA, Germany) were founded to prepare hard news stories and feature stories for multiple news outlets.
There are two kinds of reporters who do foreign reporting: the full-time correspondent stationed in a particular city and the special envoy sent to a specific event, like a war. The latter are typically referred to as stringers since they do not have a permanent contract with any one company, but produce work for several. Generally, the work they do is based on interviews with local officials, members of the community and witnesses and sourced from local media. They are able to provide an objective and comprehensive view of events in their area of expertise.
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