Freelance Journalism Guide Reporting in Foreign Territory

Whether you’re in the states or abroad, reporting in a place foreign to you can be difficult – especially if you are going to be there for a long period of time.

Most freelance journalists do not experience the amenities journalists at big news organizations are afforded. According to a Committee to Protect Journalists April 2012 press release, “About half of the journalists jailed at any given time work primarily online and approximately half are freelancers, according to CPJ research. Bloggers, videographers, and citizen journalists increasingly report for evolving media networks with little or no support or training.”

Elisa Tinsley, Director of the Knight International Journalism Fellowships at the International Center for Journalists believes there needs to be more protection for these types of journalists. “Even more news organizations depend on freelance reporters to cover important events and, often, conflicts,” Tinsley said. “It’s more important than ever for those organizations to have safety guidelines and procedures for stringers.”

For now, most freelancers in another country have to find a translator (if needed), a place to stay,  and their own fixer, which is typically a local hired to help a journalist get around and connect with people while in the field – and they do this all on their own. So what does a freelance journalist have to do in order to easily and safely maneuver around in this new place they plan to report in?

Everyone one has their own way of doing things when sent out on assignment. The first thing award-winning photojournalist Ed Ou does is RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. When he is sent out on an assignment on short notice, Ou, (25), says he does as much research as he can on the plane ride to his new destination.

The next step is to find the right people to guide you when on the ground.  That means finding a fixer. “If you’re responsible, you should have this,” Ou said. “It’s really important to have fixers on the ground who can give you the contacts to help you fill in the blanks with what you don’t know.”

When looking for fixers and translators, Ou finds it easy to communicate with people and groups via Facebook or email. “Within minutes you will find a trusted fixer.”

The Vulture Club, a Facebook group, is one group where a freelancer can find a fixer or translator. The closed group, which you can request to join, was created after the deaths of journalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros.  The group page says, “It aims to build a non-competitive community of war reporters, photographers, human rights activists, and humanitarian workers who wish to share information, and look for assistance on a particular issue–whether it is a request for contacts in the next place you are going, or an emergency evacuation.”

“It’s always good to have local voices who can tell you what’s up, what’s safe and what’s not safe, and where you should go and not go,” Ou said.

Once Ou steps foot on the ground, he surveys his surroundings. This behavior is the same for him when reporting abroad or in the Americas. He recognizes that every place is different, but still, the approach is always the same. “Stories are stories no matter where you go,” Ou said.

Ou has taken photos all around the globe: the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the former Soviet Union. At 19, he covered the 2006 war in Lebanon receiving acclaim for his photos, and at 24, he was on the ground from the start covering the uprisings in the  Arab World as a freelancer for the New York Times. Currently, he is working on a project from the Middle East. He believes you can be successful anywhere you go so long as you can find a way to relate to the people in the community you are in.

“A smile can transcend culture or language,” Ou said. “If you are genuine, people will understand that and people will want to share their life with you.”

Ed Ou photo by Ryan Lash), all other photos courtesy of Ed Ou