Janne Hopsu’s favourite jobs are foreign assignments in video journalism. At MTV News, the correspondent does all the work abroad on their own. They schedule the interviews, find interviewers and interviewees, take pictures, edit and forward the material, and arrange a car and driver if necessary. Sometimes with practical matters, it helps to have a local fixer.

‘If my departure comes up fast, I don’t get to consider the assignment more specifically until I’m on the aeroplane,’ says Hopsu. ‘Work days are long and there’s no time to sleep. If the phone connection to Finland works, the news desk wants additional information on the telly from morning to night, as well as commentary for the radio and the website. Then somewhere in between I have to tweet about it, and the latest thing is to send live pictures from your phone, with or without commentary. I like the adrenaline rush which gives me the energy to work for days at a time.’

Sometimes the foreign correspondent can find him- or herself right in the middle of dramatic events.

‘At the scene, I try to be responsive to the situation,’ says Hopsu. ‘The subject and the reason it made the news are the most important things. As a professional, my job is to transmit information. In dealing with difficult subjects, it helps to focus on the facts. Once I’m back home from the assignment, I can replay the experience of working there.’

Along with the hard facts, the news correspondent has to offer some human interest.

‘I want to convey information and feelings,’ says Hopsu. ‘When it comes to shaping a news story, television is a more emotional medium than print. A mood can often be expressed through an individual’s experience, a camera angle, an interview, or a sound.’