LaCrai Mitchell, CBS News, New York/South Carolina
When I first learned that I’d been accepted into the RIAS Berlin Fellowship, I was beyond thrilled for what I knew was going to be the experience of a lifetime. What I wouldn’t have guessed is how participating in the program would change my career aspirations in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. Being immersed in the different cultures that characterize Berlin, Dresden, Prague, and Brussels re-awakened a love and appreciation for international reporting and politics that I hadn’t felt since studying abroad years ago. Meeting journalists like Jaafar Abdul Karim who discussed the lack of diversity in the German media landscape and political leader Beatrix von Storch who discussed the AfD party’s views on everything from refugees to climate change, clearly highlighted similarities and differences in the German and American media landscapes and political climates in ways that I know will positively improve the lens from which I tell stories. For that reason, I’d like to truly thank the RIAS Berlin Commissioners, Erik, Isabell and the rest of the RIAS team—not only for an incredible learning experience but for equipping me with firsthand knowledge that I know will make be an even better journalist as I embark on my next big assignment: the U.S. 2020 presidential election!
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Kathy Walker, News Director, KOA NewsRadio, Denver, Colorado
Thank you RIAS! My world view has expanded, my connections to German journalists has begun and the gratitude I have for the foresight of the RIAS Commission is complete. As part of the #RIAS group of June ’19, I learned so much about German politics and history, and the role of radio and television in all of Europe since the Cold War. From meeting great journalists to members of the diverse community of Berlin and topping it off with visits to the EU and NATO, I can’t name my favorite experience. It was all great! Please know that the entire experience has enriched me and is motivating me as I return to my work as News Director of KOA Radio in Denver, CO. Most of all, I have new friends found in the profound joy of a fantastic learning experience.
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Susy Castillo, Reporter, KTSM, El Paso, Texas
The RIAS Fellowship is a life changing program that inspires me to be a better journalist and all around person. Speaking with politicians, journalists, and people with one of kind experiences has helped me view the world a little bit different. While it was my first trip overseas, it was a very busy schedule that seems like a lengthy course on American-German relationships condensed into just two weeks. As much as we are different, we are also the same when it comes to politics, media, and life. I am grateful to have also been able to ask questions on camera of how people from the other side of the world view issues in my hometown which is allowing me to bring those stories to my community. Thank you RIAS. Even though RIAS is no longer on air, it’s still changing people’s views and lives in a positive way.
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Roxanne Scott, Reporter at WABE News, Atlanta
I thank the RIAS Berlin Commission for giving me a glimpse of Europe through politics, media, history and culture. Highlights for me included the East Side Gallery, the walking tours of Kreuzberg and Neukolln and going to the POLITICO office in Brussels. I also loved the informal gatherings, such as having a homemade dinner with a German journalist; I enjoyed talking about everything from podcasts to public radio to HARIBO gummy bears. RIAS has helped me re-imagine my career and affirmed that I’m on the right path of telling international stories. Thank you RIAS for the spark!
Gina Presson, Producer, WEDU, North Boulevard Tampa,
Many thanks to RIAS for this transformational experience that took me back to the land of my birth and allowed me to see it through new eyes! It was a magnificently crafted tapestry of textures, histories and experiences. We had unfettered access to both newsmakers and news veterans, representing diverse voices across the political and social spectrum. It was an intimate, in-depth and insider look at the complicated dynamics in Germany and the European Union. This is particularly important, given this time of change, resulting from the recent European parliamentary elections, all providing rich fodder for many potential news stories.
Our meetings ranged from the press secretary working with Chancellor Merkel, the head of the ARD party, and a former councilman from the Greens Party, to a survivor of the Stasi prison, a Syrian refugee and the artist who founded the East Side Gallery painted on remnants of the Berlin Wall. I loved the blend of meetings focused on both historical and current events. Given my family history, born to an American ASA soldier living in Herzogenaurach, it was amazing to see the Allied museum in Berlin, including its photographic exhibit of life for American GI families in Germany. They very much resembled my family photos.
It was also an extraordinary experience to visit the major media outlets in Germany and to hear from their leaders. In a more informal way, I enjoyed getting to know the German journalists over dinner and drinks. Finally, what a wonderful experience to get to know such outstanding American journalists, led by our fearless leader, Erik Kirschbaum. He is a walking encyclopedia of information from both sides of the Atlantic. As an American who has lived in Germany for many years, Erik has a unique perspective on both of our cultures.
In a nutshell, the RIAS family fosters transatlantic relationships, deeper understanding of both our cultures and their interdependence, as well as lifetime friendships. It also is the source of many news stories to encourage greater understanding among our viewers, readers and listeners. Thank you for including me in this rare company.
