World News is the media jargon for news that occurs outside of a national or regional context. It is often reported by journalists based abroad, and can encompass a region (such as Africa), a country (such as the United States) or an entire continent. World News is usually divided into the subfields of international politics, international business and international culture and religion. However, it is common for world news to be covered by news outlets that specialize in national or regional news as well.

The year 2023 began with the global spread of COVID-19, and the lingering aftermath of the pandemic. A series of armed conflicts, political crises and humanitarian disasters have dominated headlines in the months that followed. These include Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the deadly famine in South Sudan, the Nagorno-Karabakh war that threatens the Armenian diaspora, and more.

At the heart of many of these stories is a journalist. There are two main types of full-time reporters who cover world events: the foreign correspondent and the special envoy. The former is a reporter based in a city or town, who regularly files stories to the news editor and gathers materials from government officials, local residents, members of the community and the local media; the latter is a senior-level correspondent who travels to different countries on a regular basis to report on particular subjects or events. These journalists may work for a news organization or an independent agency such as AP, Reuters or Wolff. In the latter case, they typically prepare hard news stories or feature pieces that can be sold to various news outlets. These articles are then disseminated through wire services, which originally used telegraphs but now frequently utilize the internet. These services are also subscribed to by corporations, individuals and analysts.