Generally speaking, national news refers to issues that affect the entire country. This may include major events like terrorist attacks, wars in which the United States is involved, or meetings of multilateral organizations that have a global reach. In some cases, localized events can also become national news if they have a significant impact on the local population.
Most Americans get their news from television and the internet. In terms of television, local broadcasters have in-house news departments that produce newscasts geared to the specific Designated Market Areas (DMA) in which they operate. These are often separate from the news divisions of their parent companies, and they focus on issues that have a direct effect on local residents. Local newscasts typically include regular weather reports that are relevant to the area and traffic updates as well as sports news.
Cable news networks, such as CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC, are usually focused on political issues. Their coverage is more opinion-driven than that of network news and often includes panelists with different viewpoints on a particular issue. In recent years, regional cable news channels such as New England Cable News and NY1 have gained in popularity among viewers.
Reuters, a British news agency founded in 1846, is one of the most highly regarded and respected international news agencies. AP, the Associated Press, is another prominent international news organization whose reporters cover breaking news from around the world and provide real-time content to media outlets.
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