How to Become a Foreign Correspondent --
Without Leaving Home!

by Ysabel de la Rosa

Just a decade ago, the only persons reporting on foreign issues and events were correspondents who traveled to foreign countries on assignment. Although there's still no perfect substitute for in-person coverage, online resources now make it possible for writers to write on foreign events and issues without ever leaving home.

You are a candidate for being an "at-home foreign correspondent" if you:

• Can accurately read and interpret a foreign language
• Have specialized knowledge of a foreign country where that language is spoken
• Have previously traveled to or lived in the country or countries you write about
• Have online access
• Have excellent research skills
• Can think "outside the box"

Language Skills

You don't have to be conversationally fluent, but you must be able to read and translate what you read with accuracy. Never rely on computer translation programs for this. If writing about another country where English is spoken, be familiar with that country's English, its spelling, idioms, and taboo words or expressions.

Reference Tools

Have these resources on your bookshelf or bookmarked in your browser:

• An English/other language dictionary
• A regular dictionary in the foreign language you're reading
• A pictorial dictionary (optional)
• A verb conjugation book
• A basic grammar text
• A book of idioms
• A book of synonyms
• A correspondence guide
• A national map and major city maps

You might also want to have country-specific reference materials on hand, such as the Business Traveller's Guides published by The Economist.

Many countries have information from their national statistical bureaus online. Bookmark the one that applies to the country you want to research or write about. Other online resources are listed at the end of this article.

A Story in the Making

Now, let's take an example of a foreign-country event, its feature-story potential, and the resources you can access to prepare the story.

Recently in Spain, the Basque terrorist organization ETA has exploded nine bombs, killing two city councilmen, injuring ten people, endangering the lives of hundreds of other people in business and residential districts, and causing millions of dollars of damage to buildings and homes. Currently, ETA averages two bombs/explosions per week. ETA's attacks are increasing not only in the northern Basque region, but throughout all of Spain, including Madrid (central Spain) and Málaga (southern Spain). In fact, ETA now has a special "commando" established in southern Spain, a haven for millions of tourists.

There are important, relevant, and interesting stories "embedded" in these few facts, and those stories are yours to write, if you can read Spanish, if you know where to look for your facts, figures, and sources -- and if you can think outside the "box.

Doing the Research

Read the coverage provided by both national and local news sources. Next, read the news from the regions in which the attacks took place, checking the local newspapers in Madrid and Malaga. Also review the news from major newspapers in key Basque cities, such as Bilbao and Vittoria.

When possible, find out the political leanings of the periodicals you read. This has a major effect on what and how they report their news. You can also use online-only publications as research resources, although these are less likely to have in-depth coverage.

In addition to national and regional periodicals, research major international or internationally focused newspapers, such as The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The London Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Financial Times.

To help put your country-focused story in a broader context, include information from international/global organizations, such as the World Tourism Organization, United Nations, World Health Organization, and world history sites, among others. (In this example, World Tourism Figures provide an important angle for our story.)

Find out if the country has a national news agency. Spain's national news bureau is EFE and they have a site online that is accessible for free. Other international news agencies, such as Reuters, have headline sites and services. Some charge a fee.

Other resources include news and documentary programs via satellite television and radio programs via the internet. Many television and radio stations have web sites. Find out which programs air when by checking their web site (allow for time differences). Many stations interview key government figures and celebrities in depth, thereby offering you the next best thing to interviewing these people yourself.

You can find your own interview sources, though, through contacts you have from past travel or living experience in a particular country. You can also look for e-mail interview sources through expatriate or international networking sites. Or, consider interviewing a fellow writer or editor of a particular publication. Don't ask for their "news," which they've already reported (and you should already have), but for their insights and opinions. Send them a copy of your article on publication. Participants in a newsgroup can also be a good source for interview contacts.

Fax or e-mail questions to your interview candidate(s) and they can respond via fax or e-mail, or you can set a time for a phone interview.

Visual Support

Many newspaper/publication photographers retain reproduction rights to their photos. If you see an image you want to use, fax the photographer for permission to download the image and publish it. In some cases, photographers see an advantage in having their work published gratis "internationally," as long as they receive proper credit and the photo appears with copyright. Often photographers have out-take images that a periodical did not publish, which they might be willing to send to you. Always send the photographer a copy of the article upon publication, or tell them where they can find the article online. If the publication you write for pays for photography, offer the photographer a fee. You'll need to negotiate the foreign currency situation, however, and the fee may not be enough to be worth either your or the photographer's time and trouble. (You may also suggest that your editor contact the photographer directly and handle the purchase of photographs.)

When sending faxes, you may want to send two, one version in English and the other in the native language of the photographer. Faxing is preferable to e-mail, because e-mails in large newspaper offices "virtually" disappear. A fax in English in a non-English- speaking environment gets attention and may help you reach your contact faster, while sending a second version in his/her language helps ensure a response.

Also check online photo sites, such as Alta Vista's image finder. If you have a budget, either from the publication you are writing for or from your own resources, there are numerous stock photo agencies you can access online.

Now, you have information from various sources. What can you write about Basque terrorism that is relevant to someone who lives in Toronto, Florida, or Berlin?

Thinking Outside the Box

A quick look at the World Tourism Organization figures for 1999 gives you one angle for your story. More than 42 million people (including 9 million Americans) travel to Spain every year, making it the second-most popular tourist spot in the world.

Anyone planning a vacation or business meeting in Spain needs to be aware of ETA's current and rapidly-increasing terrorist activity. Yet, if you do a survey of North American headlines (on Excite's NewsTracker, for example), you'll find only very brief coverage of this problem.

An article for the tourism audience could address these topics:

• Where are the likely hot-spots for terrorist attacks? (For example: Banks are bombed several times a week now, nearly always at night. Tourists should visit automatic cash machines only during daylight hours.)
  
  
• What to do if you hear an explosion.
• How to avoid contact with suspicious-looking vehicles that may be planted with car bombs. (For example: Many ETA car-bombs are installed in cars with non-Spanish license plates.)
  
  
• What to expect at airports: longer lines, more detailed security checks, etc.
  
  
• The importance of keeping up with the news while traveling in Spain, and resources for doing this.
  
  
• Emergency numbers.

Good research will also tell you that the terrorist situation has a bearing on another large audience -- the international business community. The Basque country has the highest per-capita income in Spain, is a major industrial center, and is an important market for companies who want to do business in Spain. Two of ETA's main targets are entrepreneurs and major business branch offices. A safety-issues article is in order for anyone looking to do business in the Basque country. Examples: An article on how to contract personal security guards; security for corporate meetings (however small); choosing hotels not likely to be near ETA targets.

Yet another business issue is highlighted by a recent survey, which showed that 15 percent of Basque citizens want to leave their home region. This figure indicates a market in transition, one that could decrease steadily in numbers and in skilled labor base, if the terrorist attacks don't halt.

These angles make for interesting business-reporting for publications and/or for your own "special report" that you can market to businesses. Connecticut-based writer and consultant Judy Shapiro built a very successful business doing a weekly fax report on Mexico for a business audience, for example.

A world of international stories awaits you, as do many local editors with budgets that don't include foreign travel expenses. So put on your safari jacket, pull up to your monitor, log on, and go after one of those coveted "foreign" assignments.

For More Information:

Headlines

New York Times headlines service

http://www.nytimes.com/email
Free e-mail service, headlines and summaries.

Foreign Periodicals

Last Minute Search

http://www.lastminutesearch.com

A search engine that helps you find country- specific search engines.

International Media

http://www.writing-world.com/links/magazines.html

Country-Specific Information Sources in English

CIA World Fact Book

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Countries of the World

http://www.infoplease.com/countries.html

Nations of the World

http://www.polisci.com/almanac/nations.htm

US State Department Travel Advisories

http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html

Online Dictionaries and Language Resources

Harper Collins's foreign language dictionary site

http://wordreference.com

Your Dictionary.com

http://www.yourdictionary.com

Writing-World.com's Language and Dictionary Links

http://www.writing-world.com/links/dictionaries.shtml

Maps

World of Maps

http://www.worldofmaps.com

A great selection and direct links to Rand McNally and National Geographic. Also see UN site (below) for interesting, downloadable maps.

International Radio

About.com's site on international radio listings is good: http://radio.about.com/tvradio/radio/msub70.htm

Interview-Networking Sources

International Association of Business Communicators

http://www.iabc.com/homepage.htm

A source of interview candidates, all full-time professional communicators.

Expat Forum

http://www.expatforum.com

Sojourners' Underground Network

http://www.thesun.org

Expatriate community and e-zine.

Global Statistics and Information

World Tourism Organization

http://www.world-tourism.org/

United Nations

http://www.un.org

World Health Organization

http://www.who.int