Yesterday at Columbia we heard how ex-foreign correspondents have been coping since to non-journalistic pursuits since their return to the U.S. Being a freelance journalist these days are tough, no doubt: Between the time difference, the danger (both of not getting your paycheck and living in a possibly censored country), there is little to sway young J-schoolers for packing their bags and heading to the unknown, hopeful that some U.S. agency will pick up their story abroad.

But there are still some organizations out there that seek to employ unknown foreign journalists, and starting today, the ARA is one on them.

Called "Associated Reporter Abroad" the ARA connects editors across the U.S. and internationally with reporters stationed in different locales. Every day, (if this technique proves profitable), the ARA sends out an email blip of different story ideas their writers abroad have come up with, and send them to editors. If the editors like them, a match is made and that journo is now freelancing for that publication. If an editor has an idea for a story, they can contact the ARA, who will set them up with someone in that area.

We imagine that this model couldn't work without some money exchanging hands, so the ARA must be taking a cut somewhere along the line. Perhaps, like all good middle-men and agents, once a story is set upon, the A.P. gets its 15% cut...hopefully from the editors, and not the writers.