FIFA World cup hosts: a victory for dictatorships

This is what tomorrow’s Independent front page should read. “FIFA world cup results: a victory for dictatorships.”

How cutting budgets might improve foreign news coverage

Last night I went to see the multi-award winning journalist Michela Wrong talk about working in sub-Saharan Africa. Chatham House Rules applied (i.e. everything was off the record and no quotes) but one thing she said got me thinking.

She mentioned that the serious cutbacks in foreign news reporting meant papers, broadcasters and agencies were no longer sending in Western correspondents but instead using local journalists. This, she said, might actually make the coverage better as they could provide local knowledge that the Westerner never can.