WORKING IN BRUSSELS
Brussels is arguably the largest international media centre in the world. However, the number of foreign journalists in Brussels has recently declined from previous levels of around 1400. This is mainly due to the difficulties facing the media industry, in Belgium and beyond. Much information is now readily available on the web.
A number of media editors believe that European affairs can be covered just as well from their national desks. Or else they think that EU affairs are too complex or irrelevant for their users. Some media organisations now seem reluctant to keep their correspondents in Brussels. Apart from covering European affairs and NATO, many journalists based in Brussels also report on developments in Belgium, the Netherlands and other European countries.
Journalists @ Your Service (J@YS) is convinced that the value of every journalist working in Brussels justifies each respective media’s investment. There is an undeniable wealth and variety of first-hand information and contacts that the working journalist can gather here. Brussels therefore remains a magnet for one thousand journalists from all over the world accredited with the European Union (EU) institutions.
Whether working as employees or freelancers, most journalists in the capital of Europe come from the 27 EU Member States. But a new trend can now be seen, with an increasing number of journalists from beyond Europe – including Asia and the Middle East. This indicates that Europe is still considered an important point of reference, perhaps even more than before.
