Comments on: Fewer Foreign Desks, More Foreign Journalism http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/fewer_foreign_desks_more_foreign_journalism/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:20:03 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Dave Schuler http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/fewer_foreign_desks_more_foreign_journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-472781 Dave Schuler Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:29:08 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/?p=24587#comment-472781 Both Kristof's and MY's comments show a remarkable lack of understanding of the changes that have occurred in how news is gathered both here and abroad over the last thirty or forty years. Basically, journalism has gone to a wholesale distribution model. On the one hand that means more coverage of international events in newspapers other than the ten or twenty with the largest circulations; on the other it means a lot fewer foreign correspondents on the fulltime payrolls of those big newspapers. Increasingly even the wire services are going to stringers for overseas news gathering. As we've seen over the last couple of years there are definite hazards in this. Nobody has the time, knowledge, or, probably, the interest to vet the stringers properly. Consequently, we may be more rather than less likely to have creative writers or propagandists touted as reporters. Both Kristof's and MY's comments show a remarkable lack of understanding of the changes that have occurred in how news is gathered both here and abroad over the last thirty or forty years. Basically, journalism has gone to a wholesale distribution model. On the one hand that means more coverage of international events in newspapers other than the ten or twenty with the largest circulations; on the other it means a lot fewer foreign correspondents on the fulltime payrolls of those big newspapers.

Increasingly even the wire services are going to stringers for overseas news gathering. As we've seen over the last couple of years there are definite hazards in this. Nobody has the time, knowledge, or, probably, the interest to vet the stringers properly. Consequently, we may be more rather than less likely to have creative writers or propagandists touted as reporters.

]]> By: yetanotherjohn http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/fewer_foreign_desks_more_foreign_journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-472659 yetanotherjohn Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:58:38 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/?p=24587#comment-472659 I am trying to think of any major place in the world that doesn't have at least one english language paper on line (quality does differ). And as you say, getting foreign events summarized and analyzed is even easier. So I guess the real question would be what would a foreign desk do for newspapers that are already hurting financially that they couldn't get cheaper via on line. And to the extent that 'having a guy there' makes a difference, has the concept of stingers totally gone out of existence. I am trying to think of any major place in the world that doesn't have at least one english language paper on line (quality does differ). And as you say, getting foreign events summarized and analyzed is even easier. So I guess the real question would be what would a foreign desk do for newspapers that are already hurting financially that they couldn't get cheaper via on line.
And to the extent that 'having a guy there' makes a difference, has the concept of stingers totally gone out of existence.

]]>