In general, world news is defined as news that relates to events outside the boundaries of a nation state. This can include stories about wars, conferences of international organizations, or other events that affect the world community. It can also include news about natural disasters and other natural phenomena, such as hurricanes or earthquakes. It is common for major news agencies to specialize in this type of reporting, especially in the United States.
The biggest story relating to world news came out of the United Kingdom in 2011, when it was revealed that employees of the defunct newspaper News of the World had been hacking into phones of politicians, celebrities, and members of the royal family. The scandal led to multiple governmental investigations, including the Leveson Inquiry and Operation Elveden. It also forced the resignations of several high-profile executives and managers of News Corporation, including James Murdoch as executive chairman of News International and BSkyB and Rebekah Brooks as chief executive of the Times Publishing Group.
In addition to the phone hacking scandal, other major developments related to the News of the World included allegations that it bribed police officers in order to gain exclusive information. Operation Elveden and the subsequent investigation into the activities of former News of the World investigators Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire uncovered evidence of illegal acquisition of confidential information, including payments made to serving police officers. As a result, both Goodman and Mulcaire were arrested in 2006 and later convicted of offences involving hacking into the voicemail messages of celebrities such as actor Sienna Miller, model Elle Macpherson, MP Simon Hughes, and sports agent Sky Andrew, as well as the relatives of victims of the 7 July 2005 London bombings.
About the Author
