National news is the reporting of events that affect a nation’s citizens, such as political events, wars or international disasters. It may also refer to a country’s relations with other nations or multilateral organizations. In the modern world, events that once took hours or even days to become common knowledge in towns or countries can now be broadcast instantaneously by cable news networks or on mobile phones and the Internet.
The term national news is also used to describe a variety of television and radio programs that report on current events, from hard news stories to feature articles or interviews. “Newsmagazine-style” shows may mix news coverage with topical lifestyle issues or debates, or may present a combination of entertainment and non-news content such as celebrity or sports reports.
News reports may be filed by local reporters or by foreign correspondents based in a country and reporting to a news editor. A foreign correspondent may cover a city, region or entire country and regularly file stories to the news editor from his or her location, either directly or through other local journalists or officials. A special envoy sent to a specific country or event may also provide national news.
In a commercial media context, it is in the interest of news outlets to attempt to provide a story agenda which corresponds as closely as possible to consumers’ desires. This explains the tendency for newspapers, radio and television stations to focus on sensational events that generate the highest ratings.