News is information about current events and issues. It is a common form of communication and is often published in print (newspapers, magazines) and broadcasted via television or radio. It can also be found on the Internet. The content of news can vary greatly, from politics to sports to business. Some types of news are more important or interesting than others, and this may influence how the media reports it.
National news refers to stories that concern the national government, national institutions, or national events. It may include armed conflict or peace summits. It may be distinguished from world news, which deals with international events.
Historically, news was delivered through printed press or word of mouth. However, technological changes such as the telegraph and improved printing presses allowed news to be shared more widely, and newspapers became powerful sources of advocacy and muckraking, along with serious reporting and objective news-gathering.
Today, news is available in many forms and at an ever-increasing speed. Breaking news is reported in real time, and events that used to take hours or days to reach towns or nations are now instantly transmitted to consumers worldwide.
Cable news networks, such as CNN, NBC News, Fox News Channel and MSNBC, are examples of generalist broadcasters that focus on national or world news. Other examples are specialty channels that focus on specific topics, such as ESPNews for sports news, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business Network for business news, and local programming in some countries.