National news is information that has broad relevance for a large number of people, often reflecting national interests or concerns. This type of news can be reported by a variety of media outlets, including print and digital media. With the decline of local news outlets, national issues have become more prevalent in the United States, potentially leaving residents without adequate information about important community matters such as city governance and safety.
In the United States, cable news channels have proliferated since 1980, with the first being CNN. The channel spawned spin-offs including CNN Headline News and CNN2 before dropping the CNN brand in 2008, changing its name to HLN. Other national news networks include Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNBC and Bloomberg Television. More recently, newer specialty news networks have emerged including i24NEWS, Newsmax TV, TheBlaze, NewsNation, RFD-TV and Cheddar, which was launched in 2017 as an online-only network that is now a part of the Altice USA portfolio and carries its content behind a soft paywall.
The news industry’s goal is to provide a factual and unbiased reflection of events in the local, national and global context. However, the way in which some news is framed and presented may hinder this objective reporting. The use of social media allows regional issues to gain mass visibility and can blur the lines between local and national stories, resulting in sensationalism that can distort the true significance of a story. In addition, the differences in audience demographics can play a significant role in how news is prioritized and reported, both for local and national news.
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