Media Co-Ops are international media productions facilitated by the U.S. Department of State to assist foreign media outlets. Media Co-Ops provide broadcast professionals— typically a producer/reporter and a photographer— an opportunity to report on location in the United States.
“Co-Ops” result in a variety of media products, including social media content, newspaper and magazine articles, radio and TV broadcasts, news, features and documentaries. U.S. embassies identify one to three members from a single country from television, radio, or digital outlets to develop a reporting proposal that explores U.S. policy in depth. The reporting tour allows foreign journalists to capture the context in which foreign policy is made, at the federal, state, and local level. A U.S. contract producer is assigned to facilitate all aspects of the foreign journalists’ reporting while in the United States.
Teams travel to the United States for a maximum of 10 days, traveling to up to three locations to meet and interview policymakers, leaders, activists, and everyday citizens and report on topics of strategic importance in unique, compelling ways. The FPCs facilitate all aspects of the production—including selecting shoot locations, securing filming permits, scheduling interviews and handling all logistics from transportation to lodging to interpretation— providing access that foreign journalists could not otherwise obtain in a short trip to the United States.
For a list of previous co-ops from our archived site, please visit here.