How employable are correspondents?

CareerExplorer rates correspondents with a D employability rating, meaning this career should provide weak employment opportunities for the foreseeable future.

Are correspondents in demand?

The job outlook for correspondents is predicted to remain stable. While there will always be a need for such journalists, demand may not increase, due partly to the expenses associated with sending news correspondents overseas. Mergers and content-sharing agreements between news agencies may further reduce the number of correspondents on staff. In some instances, however, consolidations may have the opposite effect; they may in fact limit job losses when smaller or financially troubled news organizations become part of larger, more stable ones with greater resources. Decreases in readership and circulation of print media are likely to limit openings in the field. In addition, as newspapers and television and radio stations increasingly publish content online and on mobile devices, they may have difficulty selling traditional forms of advertising. This loss of what is normally their primary source of revenue will exert negative pressure on the job market for correspondents. While online and mobile platforms also generate advertising, their revenues are typically lower than those in traditional media and may not, therefore, offset this decline. All jobs in this field will attract a high number of applicants. Competition for highly-coveted positions with national television networks, national newspapers, and large metropolitan newspapers will be especially strong. Senior-level correspondents with extensive experience may find recurring opportunities as freelancers; these roles, however, will likely be on temporary and short-term contracts. Freelance openings for entry-level candidates are generally few in number, and those that do exist tend to be with smaller local media outlets. Related positions to which correspondents may transfer or be promoted include editor and producer or director of broadcast news. Advertising, communications, or public relations specialists are among the non-media careers to which correspondents sometimes transition.