World news is a general term for the news media’s coverage of international events. In the field of journalism, it is a subfield of news reporting, and it can be distinguished from national or domestic news by the fact that world news typically covers events occurring outside the borders of a country’s government. The distinction between world and national news is sometimes blurred, particularly when a country is involved in a war or hosts a global event such as a summit.
A foreign correspondent is a journalist who is stationed in a foreign city (usually the capital of a country) and regularly files stories to his or her news editor. A foreign correspondent often stays in touch with local officials, members of the community and other sources of information, but the majority of his or her material comes from events he or she personally witnesses.
Reporters who are working abroad without a permanent labor contract with a news organization are often called stringers. Stringers typically produce articles for several different companies at once and may receive payment for their work based on the number of pieces they sell or the frequency with which their stories appear in print. Major news agencies, such as AFP, Reuters, AP and Wolff (currently DPA) prepare hard news stories and feature articles for their clients, which are mostly newspapers but also magazines, radio and television stations.