Parachute journalism
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Parachute journalism refers to the practice of reporting stories by journalists inexperienced with the context or cultures of a story, often resulting in inaccurate or distorted news reports. As opposed to foreign correspondents who might live in the locale, news organizations with reduced budgets will send (metaphorically by "parachute") general assignment reporters into unfamiliar areas.
Much of the world's international news is covered through parachute journalism.
It usually consists of reporting basic details, misrepresentation of facts and ignorance of contextual issues. The journalist lacks in-depth knowledge of the situation and is usually disoriented because of the strangeness of the environment he is in. The information gathered is usually from bureaucratic sources and may contain propaganda.
Journalists 'parachuted' into a strange situation often lack proper contacts. They rely on stringers for their sources, and this usually leads to strained relationships between the 'parachuter' and the stringer. The parachuter is usually a correspondent stepping on the stringer's turf, and in the process reporting is affected.
Background research and independent investigation of the events at the site of occurrence is little or non-existent. Most research, if any, is done in the journalist's home country before he sets off for the point of action. Another drawback is the tendency of parachuters to copy each other's work.
One advantage of this type of journalism is that the parachuter is an outsider who can look at the news event from a fresh perspective and notice things or provide an angle to the story that a stringer may have missed. He is more likely to be able to pinpoint what a global audience will be interested in.
Cases of parachute journalism have been reported during the Bosnia crisis, when most journalists focused on the Serbian atrocities and ethnic cleansing, but neglected similar incidents committed by Croatian troops in eastern Bosnia.
