When will RIAS Berlin Commission exchange programs resume?

The RIAS Berlin Commission is eager to resume its transatlantic exchange programs for German and American journalists as soon as it is possible. Unfortunately there are still travel restrictions in place making it difficult for Germans to visit the United States and there are also limits on U.S. citizens traveling to the European Union. These travel restrictions and any quarantine requirements make it in essence impossible to run our in-person exchange programs. In the meantime, RIAS has been hosting weekly Zoom talks with many of our guest speakers that future participants and alumni are invited to attend.

The travel restrictions to Germany and to the United States might be lifted in the near term, which would clear a path for RIAS to resume its programs perhaps in the fall of 2021. Another key factor in the resumption of programs would be a reopening of newsrooms for visitors in both Germany and the United States because visiting journalists in each country is one of the important aspects of the exchange programs.

If the vaccination efforts in the United States and Germany lead to relaxations of the travel restrictions and further newsroom openings in each country, RIAS Berlin Commission hopes to organize an alumni program in Berlin from September 20-27 for 30 American journalists to coincide with Germany’s federal elections on September 26. If possible, it would also aim to reschedule the March 2020 program for 15 German journalists that was cancelled at the last minute to October 4-22 as well as hold a one-week program for 30 German alumni from October 25-31 that was originally scheduled for late October 2020. RIAS hopes to make a decision on these programs by mid-June 2021.

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