The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Awards Grant to NPR for Foreign News Coverage

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced a $500,000 grant to National Public Radio to support continued foreign news reporting from some of the world’s most challenging regions in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

NPR’s foreign correspondents are on the front lines, reporting on historic events – from the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa to the earthquake and ensuing tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. Foreign coverage requires considerably more investment than domestic coverage in the form of travel, equipment, technical support and local staff, such as translators and expeditors. Safe housing, security training and protective equipment are standard safeguards for reporters and bureau staff. A series of on-going, major international events this past year has put a strain on NPR’s resources. The grant from CPB will help support journalists and producers stationed across five key NPR foreign bureaus - Jerusalem, Cairo, Beirut, Shanghai and Beijing. The funding will enable these journalists to continue reporting feature stories for broadcast, web and mobile platforms. NPR currently maintains 17 foreign news bureaus around the world – more than any other broadcast news organization in the United States—plus three U.S.-based correspondents who cover foreign affairs and travel frequently. In recent years, the organization opened a new bureau in Islamabad, Pakistan, making it one of the few news organizations with bureaus in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.