World news is a term used in the news media to describe stories that have an international scope. This can include foreign affairs, such as a war or a summit between nations. It can also refer to global issues, such as climate change or immigration. In journalism, world news is distinct from domestic news in that the latter concerns events happening within a single nation.
The distinction between world and domestic news was made clear with the advent of the telegraph in 17th-century Europe. The first news agencies, such as AFP (France), Reuters (UK), and Avisa Relation oder Zeitung (Germany), were founded to provide the new medium with hard news that could be sent long distances quickly.
These organizations prepared articles that were sold in bulk to many different newspapers, radio and television stations around the globe. This model is still in use today, although the bulk of most major news agency services are now digital.
Tabloids such as Weekly World News are notorious for their sensational, often fictional news stories. These may be based on real-life events or entirely imaginary. Examples of the former include stories about Bigfoot, mermen, real-life catwomen, frog babies, and half-alligator half-human hybrids. The tabloid even had its own fictional character, ‘Bat Boy’, which was featured on the cover of rapper Travis Scott’s 2021 album Escape Plan / Mafia. Other popular WWN stories were about the existence of cryptids and other creatures, including ‘Elvis Presley the Ape’.
About the Author
