Leah Donnella, NPR, Washington

This trip gave me the rare opportunity to step away from the day-to-day grind of journalism and actually think about some bigger questions: Why do we do what we do? How can we do it better? What assumptions do we make as journalists in the U.S., and how are people in other contexts challenging those assumptions? Meeting with German journalists who are covering many of the same issues that we are (rising nationalism, climate change, immigration, elections) forced me to look at these topics from a different perspective. The conversations were sometimes challenging, but always illuminating. It was also fascinating to be in a city that’s so immersed in history – and to learn about how Berlin in particular (and Germany more broadly) is grappling with its complicated past. So much to think about, and so many parallels to the U.S. Even though this program packed in a lot of very full days, I came back to my newsroom feeling refreshed and grateful to be working in this field.

Michelle Morgante, freelance journalist, Los Angeles

As someone who grew up when Berlin was still divided, being able to visit Germany as it is today allowed me to comprehend that life can only be understood backwards – and lived forwards. The fortitude of the Germans – and the Europeans in general – to embrace history as a means of caring for the future left an impression on me that I hope to spread. I am deeply thankful to have been part of this experience. This fellowship is one of the most important programs I can imagine for journalists and for anyone who cares about the political and social future of our world. Thank you, RIAS, for preserving this increasingly meaningful experience.