  A point source in a disordered scattering medium generates a speckle pattern
with non-universal features, giving rise to the so-called C_0 correlation. We
analyze theoretically the relationship between the C_0 correlation and the
statistical fluctuations of the local density of states, based on simple
arguments of energy conservation. This derivation leads to a clear physical
interpretation of the C_0 correlation. Using exact numerical simulations, we
show that C_0 is essentially a correlation resulting from near-field
interactions. These interactions are responsible for the non-universality of
C_0, that confers to this correlation a huge potential for sensing and imaging
at the subwavelength scale in complex media.
