World news is the term used in the news media to refer to a range of international and global stories, often with a lighthearted or irreverent tone. It can also be the title of a specific news program that covers these topics, including international newscasts from major networks like CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. The phrase may also be used to refer to a general news segment on local or national topics that have a global perspective, such as the evening news on many U.S. television stations.
The show’s earliest segments often focused on current events and featured stories gathered from abroad, as well as repurposed and edited footage from other ABC news programs (with credit given to the original producer where possible). The “Morning Papers” section was a regular feature that showcased off-beat stories or funny pictures found in newspapers from around the world, but this was eventually replaced by the more modern version of the segment called “The Mix”.
Other regular sections included the “Facts and Statistics” and “Historical Documents” sections, which compiled articles, photographs and primary sources for notable events and historic figures. A series called “Landmark Events in History” was browsable by decade from 1940 to today, and an “Election Guide” was presented during presidential elections (including 2024).
As the show’s format evolved, it became more of a hybrid news program, including many features that would later become regulars on other ABC news programs. For example, the program’s producers would frequently check in with news producers at ABC affiliates around the country to see what they were working on during a breaking story (such as a major storm or snowstorm), or broadcast the opening of an ABC affiliate’s late local newscast (for instance, WAWV in Terre Haute, Indiana, which was an over-the-air ABC affiliate until 2011). On Friday mornings, the show closed with some version of the World News Now Polka while the program credits were scrolled.