World news (also international or foreign news) is the term used by journalism to describe news about a country or global subject that is not of immediate interest to a local audience. It is a distinct genre from domestic, or national news, which focuses on the government and politics of a particular region or state. Unlike domestic news, which is usually produced by staffers at a single newspaper or broadcasting station, most world news is collected and reported by news agencies, which often send correspondents abroad to gather information. Some news agencies specialize in specific areas, such as military conflicts or natural disasters.
Several different programs have been produced by the network and its affiliates under the World News Now name, most of which are geared toward younger viewers. In addition to traditional news stories, the show has also featured a variety of humorous and offbeat features including the “World News Polka” (usually a version played on an accordion by comedian Barry Mitchell), and a series of short segments called Morning Papers featuring funny or offbeat stories found in newspapers from around the world.
In recent years, some ABC stations, notably the network O&Os at first WPVI-TV in Philadelphia and later New York flagship WABC-TV in late August 2020 dropped World News Now, replacing it with a weekday evening airing of America This Morning. In some markets, affiliates choose to run paid programming or an automated weather subchannel instead. Until September 2011, three stations owned by Citadel Communications – KCAU-TV in Sioux City, KLKN in Lincoln, Nebraska and WOI-DT in Ames, Iowa (Des Moines) – preempted the program.