ABSTRACT
Foreign correspondents are the journalistic elite. Theirs is a world of travel, adventure, excitement and, yes, glamour. It can also be a world of danger – of greater risk than any other job in the modern media. The risks can be appealing to some people, but for most the attraction of foreign reporting is the chance to witness world events and interpret those events for an audience at home. The broadcaster and writer Andrew Marr describes foreign correspondents as an 'aristocracy'. The larger news organisations maintain foreign bureaux – permanently staffed offices around the world. Travelling abroad is part of the appeal of being a foreign correspondent or producer. Being ready to travel at a moment's notice is part of the job. Newsrooms are full of stories of reporters who were sent to breaking foreign news stories simply because they were the only one in the office who had their passport with them.
