In news reporting, world news refers to current events occurring outside of a national jurisdiction, whether in the case of wars involving foreign countries or summits of international organizations. This category may also include news related to international policy such as climate change, drug trafficking or economics.
In the United States, a distinction is often made between world news and “national” news; however, in many cases, the lines are blurred, particularly as news coverage of major events such as wars or natural disasters tend to have an impact on every country worldwide. World news is also commonly reported by the major networks and newspapers, and is a large part of the business of news agencies that supply information to multiple outlets.
The Weekly World News is a tabloid newspaper that was published in black and white from 1979 until 2007. It was known for its outlandish, mostly fictional news stories that verged on the satirical. The paper’s iconic covers have become pop culture icons.
The Weekly World News often carried real news stories in addition to its fabricated ones. For example, in February 1989, the WWN ran real photographs from the post-autopsied body of serial killer Ted Bundy on its front page; WWN editor Eddie Clontz defended the decision by saying that the publisher hoped that publishing such graphic images would deter other criminals. WWN has also featured several articles claiming that Elvis Presley has faked his own death, and has conducted polls pitting the U.S. Postal Service’s 1950s Elvis stamps against its own 1990s Elvis stamp.