National news focuses on issues that affect the nation as a whole. These can include politics, major disasters and other international events that have a significant impact on the United States. National news can also cover social and cultural issues that affect the entire nation like healthcare, education and poverty. It can also cover events related to the economy and business, including financial markets and international trade.
Local news focuses on community events, crime reports and other topics that impact a specific area. These topics can vary from city to city depending on the needs and interests of the population. Some examples of local news include weather reports, traffic updates and sports news.
Many television stations have in-house news departments that produce local newscasts for their Designated Market Area (DMA). These departments may be separate from the news division of the station’s parent company. The most common news formats are morning and evening newscasts. Some stations offer a livestream of their newscasts online to subscribers through cable, satellite and wireline-style IPTV providers such as YouTube TV and Hulu.
There are many options when it comes to consuming news, from local to national. People working in local news often live in the communities they serve and are impacted by the same events as viewers. That helps them build trust and credibility with viewers. On the other hand, many viewers have come to rely on national news networks such as CNN and Fox News for their political coverage and opinion-driven programming.