National news is a subfield of journalism that covers events, issues and developments with significant national implications. This includes politics, the economy and major disasters. National news is often contrasted with local and hyperlocal news, which focus on stories relevant to a specific community or region. Social media has blurred the boundaries between these two types of reporting, allowing regional issues to gain national attention almost instantaneously.
The distinction between national and local news has important implications for the way information is prioritized and presented. For example, local news focuses on matters that directly affect citizens, such as city governance and crime reports. The decline of traditional local news outlets has decreased citizens’ awareness of these issues and may lead to reduced civic engagement in their communities. National news, on the other hand, tends to engage a broader audience and may cover more general issues like national security or the economy.
International news, also known as world news, is a specialized field of journalism that deals with news from abroad. It can be a topic in itself or can be included as part of a larger story, such as a war or a summit of a multilateral organization. Reporters who specialize in foreign news are called correspondents. In addition to full-time foreign correspondents, some media sources employ stringers who are on contract for a period of time to produce reports on specific subjects in different countries or regions. These reports are then delivered to other news organizations through wire services (originally based on telegraphy and later developed by innovations in telecommunications). Historically, the bulk of major news agency service articles have been foreign.