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For a first step, simply look at where the BBC's journalists are currently based. The technology behind this mapping has only recently become widely available.
Map of BBC's journalists.
The map was prepared by Stuart Pinfold, who works for the BBC. It provoked a Guardian journalist to do something similar for that newspaper:
Map of Guardian journalists.
Both displays provide enormous potential for thinking about the news that is brought to us. Students can identify gaps, and look at concentrations. They can examine what it says about priorities. They might look at how assumptions about what is important in the world can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. After all, if there are no reporters, that means no news.
Invite students to think about how those maps might change over time. Obviously a major sporting event like the Olympic games will bring more journalists to the host country. They will not all be sports journalists. When the games are over they will leave. What other events might bring similar flocks of journalists for a short stay?
Before exploring in detail, students may want to know a little more about how journalism works. The following quick briefing describes the system.
Foreign correspondents: two minute-briefing
Many people assume that journalists follow the news. If something happens in the world, reporters from television, radio and newspapers are sent to report it.
In exceptional cases this is true. If there is a major incident, or a shocking crime, news organisations will send reporters and camera crews to cover developments.
Mostly, that is not what happens. The job of journalists based overseas is to uncover new stories. They monitor the country's media, build relationships with significant people and talk to interesting locals. They use their reporting skills and news sense to identify a good story.
It is highly competitive. Space devoted to foreign news in the UK media is strictly limited. Editors think their readers and viewers will be bored by too many stories from Africa or South America. Overseas journalists have to work very hard to persuade their news desks that something will be of interest "back home".
Of course, overseas journalists cannot be everywhere. There are too many countries in the world, and news budgets are too small.
Foreign correspondents, as overseas journalists are often called, operate on one of three different scales.
- A bureau. That is, an office with a team of staff, providing a comprehensive news service.
- A correspondent. This is a full-time journalist working on their own.
- Stringers or freelances. These are established contacts that a news organisation uses to provide news stories. They are not employed directly, but have other jobs and income. They may be paid a small monthly retainer, plus a fee for any stories the UK-based editor agrees to use.
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