Good writing and reporting skills transcend borders and time zones. Opportunities abound for young journalists who are interested in putting their skills to use in countries where there is a need for quality journalism.
Below are eight media outlets across continents that are expanding their newsrooms on their home turf and outside of their borders. All are seeking reporters who are versatile, tech savvy (think mobile journalist), and most importantly adventurous.
Justin Heifetz, a young American and full-time reporter with the Bangkok Post in Thailand, can attest to that.
“Yes, there are more opportunities overseas for young journalists, and especially in Asia,” says Heifetz, noting that print newspapers are still expanding in Asia. “Big outlets are almost always staffing sub-editors through the production line, which create a lot of job opportunities for native English speakers working in journalism.”
In the spirit of sharing overseas opportunities with journalism students here on home base, I culled together a list of media outlets that are reportedly in growth mode. The list is also based on my own experience of working in Asia for six years, along with my stint as a board member of the Asian American Journalist Association-Asia, and lastly in the capacity of journalism educator and the numerous newsroom trips I’ve led over the past year.
Here are eight media outlets to check out.
China Daily: The daily newspaper, supported by the Chinese government, has expanded in the last several years and has hired seasoned Western journalists as editors and reporters. China Daily’s Hong Kong office and Washington D.C. bureau have been particularly interested in candidates with strong reporting backgrounds, or who have graduated from well-respected journalism schools, according to editors that I spoke to at China Daily when I visited their Hong Kong office earlier in 2013.
Al-Jazeera America: The Qatari broadcaster has been hiring at its overseas bureaus and right here in its U.S. offices, including Washington D.C. and New York City. The network has hired some high profile U.S. journalists here, including Mark Coatney, an ex-Tumblr and Yahoo! executive, who according to Media Post, was hired as the senior vice president of digital media. It also has snagged Mike Viqueira of NBC News as its first White House correspondent, according to Politico.
BuzzFeed: The online news platform has been hiring foreign correspondents, according to the online magazine The Wrap. In July, The Wrap reported that Buzzfeed had hired its inaugural foreign correspondent Max Seddon from the Associated Press’s Moscow bureau.
CCTV: CCTV, the main broadcaster in mainland China, has been going global. It launched its Washington D.C. bureau in 2012 and recruited broadcast journalists, including Jim Laurie, a veteran broadcast journalist for ABC News and NBC News, as consultants to help in its expansion. It has had several job openings, including posts in its news department, according to its website.
Phnom Penh Post: The daily English-language newspaper in Cambodia (Phnom Penh’s oldest English newspaper) has been known within journalistic circles in Asia for being a training ground for young journalists, especially those interested in a career as a foreign correspondent. A recent job posting for the paper said candidates should be ready to cover a variety of stories, anything from violent protests, to business and feature stories.
South China Morning Post: Hong Kong’s largest and lone broadsheet has boasted a fairly international editorial staff, including editors/reporters who are British, Australian, American and Filipino. The SCMP (as it is better known) has been eager to hire native English-language journalists especially as sub-editors. It helps to be bilingual, but not necessary.
The Bangkok Post: Thailand’s main daily English-language newspaper has been seeking reporters and interns, according to reporter Justin Heifetz.
Quartz: The digital news outlet that covers global news has been looking to employ journalists based around the world, according to a post by Quartz editor-in-chief and co-founder Kevin Delaney over the summer.
Additional resources
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