How to become a foreign correspondent: What you need to know

In an increasingly media-driven world, information has become easier to consume. This influx of information has also brought a rise of biased and inaccurate reporting, making factual journalism critical for an informed world. As former president Donald Trump’s rhetoric denouncing the media has opened up Pandora’s box of distrust between citizens and news outlets, the importance of foreign journalists is becoming abundantly clear. Foreign correspondents travel across the United States, from bustling metropolises to pastoral communities, reporting on events back to their home country. Below are a few tips that will be of use to any foreign correspondent coming to the United States.

Fully immerse yourself

Reporting accurate information relies just as much on small, day-to-day interactions as it does on elaborate, planned interviews. Conversations in a café, at the gym, or in a taxi can shed light on more quotidian views that go overlooked. As Johanna Bruckner of the German media outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung says, “You have to live here, watch the news, talk to people when you go out, listen to the conversations around you on the subway — otherwise you will only cover a fraction of the truth.” This perspective can help contextualize events within the lived American experience, allowing for a more nuanced reporting of the effects on everyday people. Anne Corpet of Radio France Internationale mentions the willingness of Americans (unlike Europeans) to disclose their personal political ideologies. Take advantage of this. Talk to people wherever you are. When you realize that everyone has a unique perspective to share, an unlimited supply of information opens up to you.    

Use your resources

Towards the end of my move-in day at university my first year, as my mother was getting ready to say her goodbyes, she gave me one final piece of advice: “This costs a lot. Get as much out of the university’s resources as you can.” This advice is equally relevant to the world of foreign correspondence. Organizations such as the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC) and the Foreign Press Centers of the State Department offer useful resources that include funding, workshops, and networking opportunities for foreign journalists. Workshops and seminars by the AFPC provide information on advancing one’s career in the industry, while financial aid allows foreign journalists to support themselves while working. Additionally, social media is becoming increasingly more important for networking with professionals. Sites such as LinkedIn facilitate connections among people worldwide, and these connections can offer insider tips on investigating a particular region, for example. Taking advantage of the support here in the United States is vital to advancing in this field.

Be detailed. But not too detailed.

Foreign correspondents in the United States must never forget that their duty is to communicate American events to their audience back home. This requires a concrete knowledge of the home audience and how much they know about the United States. As a result, one must not get drawn into overly technical information, which is not likely to be helpful for a general audience. For example, when reporting on a national election, the major candidates and their policies are certainly important. Less important, however, are minute details about the history of these candidates’ voting records. This information might be more relevant to American audiences, but less so to, say, an Italian who is still trying to grasp the complexities of the American election system. Correspondents need to be discriminating when it comes to information.

The life of a foreign correspondent is not easy. One needs resilience and grit to make it in a competitive industry that provides very little glamour. Nevertheless, in a world where disinformation can have major consequences (images like those of the 2021 Capitol-storming come to mind), foreign journalists are vital to any functioning democracy. As foreign correspondents, you serve as liaisons between the United States and the rest of the world, and your work impacts those who rely upon an understanding of the United States and its interests.