Foreign Correspondents

Consolidations, mergers, decreasing circulation, and increasing operating expenses have hindered the news industry, and employment at newspapers and magazines is expected to decline through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). "News organizations . . . continue to consolidate and increasingly share resources, staff, and content with other media outlets," according to the DOL. "As consolidations, mergers, and news sharing continue, the demand for journalists may decrease as organizations downsize."

Online news organizations may offer some jobs for reporters and correspondents, but the pay is much lower than at traditional news organizations and positions are often part time. Reporters now compete with the natural flow of news via social media, which allows almost anyone anywhere to report about or comment on news events in real time.

Factors that keep the number of foreign correspondents low are the high cost of maintaining a foreign news bureau and the relative lack of interest Americans show in world news. For now and the near future, most job openings will arise from the need to replace those correspondents who leave the job. Foreign correspondents with strong multimedia journalism experience, including shooting and editing pieces, will have the advantage in the job market.