Lately I have been reading a lot about the trend in newspapers toward mostly local coverage. Many of the large metro newspapers have cut their foreign news operations. I read a few days ago that the Boston Globe had done this. While watching a recent PBS Frontline series on the "news wars" I saw they focused on the ongoing woes of the LA Times. With their profits and newsroom having been shrunk under the ownership of the Tribune Corporation one analyst was making a strong case that this venerable old paper focus its efforts on local news and forget trying to be a national paper with an international focus. Hard to imagine the LAT in that role, but indeed, times are changing.

I have watched this trend in my local newspaper, The Indianapolis Star, for several months now. To keep readership and circulation figures up their focus has been on issues of local and state interest. A recent Sunday edition offers an example. I was really surprised at how little international coverage is in the paper.

The front page had threes articles. Above the fold, one dealt with financial aid available for adoptive families and another covered the governors attempt to increase the state cigarette tax. At the bottom of the page the third front page article covered the appointment of a new president of Indiana University.

To find the first article on international news you had to go to page nine for analysis of President Bush's upcoming trip to Latin America. The only other international news item is on page sixteen and it deals with the war in Afghanistan. That's it. In the front section of the paper only two articles on any international news. I could not find any other international news article throughout this Sunday edition.

Page two of this section was devoted to promoting the web version of the paper, which contains blogs, recipes, local sports and more local news coverage. Now all of this is very helpful. Especially if I want information on a concert event I may want to attend or to catch the latest score of my favorite high school or college team. And it is the trend of most American newspapers. Many newsrooms are equipping reporters with laptops and wireless modems and they are expected to spend the day in the field gathering news and writing on local issues and updating their news site several times a day with new content. It is felt this is the best way to do the job while maintaining the attention of a younger wired audience. And they are right. It is the future of newspapers and content delivery. Whether we will see the demise of newsprint is debatable.

But we are definitely seeing a sea change in the way news is delivered, viewed and understood. More news is available to us then ever before. I can sit at my computer and gather information from virtually every news source on the planet. Pictures and video accompany all of this and most of it is free. We are awash in information.

Do we have the understanding to accompany the volume of information? Information by itself is not enough. We have to understand what it means. And we cannot fully understand today's world events without an understanding of Bible prophecy. It is a balanced and thorough knowledge of Bible prophecy that makes history come alive and helps us understand the complex rapidly changing events of today's world.

But if people's tastes are more to local news they will not be keeping up with major international events that will shape our world beyond today. It is a pleasant diversion to follow the politics of local and state government. And there is a need to know what services are available to us through various agencies. But it will be events in the Middle East, China, India, Europe and South America that will determine much of our quality of life over the next two decades. As America discovered on 9/11 we cannot take a holiday from history. Events and people can come knocking on our door with devastating consequences.

In Revelation 16:12-14 we see described a gathering of armies from the east and other parts of the world in a "place called Armageddon" (verse 16), which is located in the modern State of Israel. There will also be a time of great spiritual deception worked by Satan. Christ pronounces a blessing on those who will watch and discern those times, thereby avoiding involvement with that satanic power. "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame". (Verse 15)

So, go ahead and keep up with the basketball scores and the progress of you r favorite baseball team. I do. But keep your eyes on the international horizon. There is a lot going on there that you need to be aware of. We here at World News and Prophecy will do our part to keep you informed.