World news is journalism dealing with events or issues that affect people beyond the borders of a particular country. Generally speaking, the term world news refers to international issues, but some media outlets may include domestic or national news in the realm of world news as well. The field of world news often overlaps with the more narrowly defined realm of “national” news, with journalists covering wars that directly impact a nation’s citizens or meetings of multilateral organizations in which a nation is a member.
World News often includes a mix of serious and offbeat stories, with a lighthearted or irreverent tone. It often features repurposed segments and story packages from other ABC News programs, as well as weather forecasts, sports highlights and feature stories. It also frequently airs pranks or spoofs of other television shows or movies, often incorporating the use of the program’s on-air staff.
Among the most famous WWN pranks were several alleged Elvis sightings, which featured obviously altered photos purporting to show the King sneaking into theaters and coming out of Burger King restaurants. WWN also regularly reported on alleged new biblical discoveries, such as relics from Noah’s Ark, the Garden of Eden (claimed to be in Colorado), additional commandments from God and sandals worn by Jesus. It also ran stories claiming that natural disasters and human economic activity like drilling for oil have opened portals from Hell from which demons have been released to wreak havoc on the planet.