World news is a term used in the news media to describe international news. It may also refer to the practice of major news agencies producing and selling foreign news articles to local newspapers, radio or television stations for broadcast or publication. The bulk of these articles are about countries and global issues, but sometimes they can include specific events that affect a country or its citizens such as wars or summits. In journalism, the term is often used to distinguish it from domestic news that involves the actions of a nation’s government or national institutions.
ABC’s World News Now is an American overnight news program, whose tone is lighthearted and irreverent. The show combines general and offbeat news stories with weather forecasts, rebroadcasts of primary story packages from Nightline, and a number of segments and feature topics that are unique to the program.
A notable segment of the program is the “World News Now Internet Forum”, which allows viewers to send the anchors questions and comments via e-mail throughout the course of the program. This was one of the first television news programs to implement this type of interactive feature. The program has also been an apparent training ground for new news presenters (see list below) who go on to higher-profile positions with the network or with its local affiliates.
For a period of time, the program featured “InsomniACTS” a segment in which local jazz bands were invited into the studio to perform a number live on-air. This was replaced by a segment titled Insomniac Theater, in which an anchor would give a film review, rated on a scale of 1 to 5, of a recent movie release. On Fridays, the program would close with a version of the “World News Now Polka” – usually played on the accordion by comedian Barry Mitchell.