Impressions of Journalists from Germany on USA Program – October 3-21
Here are the impressions that a group of 11 German journalists had recently on their three-week long RIAS Berlin Commission fellowship to the United States. After spending a first week in Washington DC meeting US and German journalists, politicians, think tank experts and political analysts, the group spent a week in New York City meeting more guest speakers from the media, politics, ethnic communities and a Broadway musical actress. They spent a third week on individual fellowships visiting stations across the Midwest, South, and West learning more about how RIAS alumni from the United States do their jobs at their stations.
Damla Hekimoglu, Hamburg
How do you compress 3 years of journalism into 3 weeks? RIAS: Here we go 💪 I have never had such an intense time with such a multitude of impressions – a three-week program full of both hands-on experiences and meetings with top-notch politicians, researchers and journalists who we were able to bombard with questions. From very touching moments with Gordon Huie, a “triple survivor” of 9/11, to an off-the-record conversation with Harvey Weinstein’s PR advisor who also represents the con-artist and scammer Anne Delvey – also famously known from the Netflix show about her story – to U.S. President Biden himself, who jogged to his helicopter, the Marine One, only a few meters away from us in Top-Gun style. From once-in-a-lifetime moments that not even our U.S. colleagues had experienced so far here in the United States to cultural highlights, fun and sightseeing – we had it all. Eating pizza with a Broadway star and then admiring her on one of the world’s most famous stages? Check. Going live on air on American radio and even sing a birthday song to the show’s host? Check. Taking a deep dive into the community of Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg? Check. Sitting in the Senate of the U.S. Capitol? Check. Even though this wasn’t my first time at this historic site, it was different this time, because being here had a different ring to it: Being in the Capitol, I saw the images of January 6th 2021 in my mind, with the heart chamber of democracy being under threat. It was a moment which reminded me that nobody should ever take democracy for granted. My horizon also broadened in other moments during the 3 weeks in the USA. Be it in the U.S. comparison of ethical and journalistic standards, be it in travels to places steeped in history, or be it in very personal, deep one-to- one conversations with other group members. We laughed and cried together, challenged speakers with our questions and humbly listened to their stories. If you are ready for such a deep dive that will impact you as a human as well as a journalist – I highly recommend the transatlantic Rias program. And even though we hardly had time to sleep and take a deep breath in between – the trip was more than worth it (so says my pedometer, by the way). And I’m sure: some connections I made here are only the beginning of true friendships. THANKS.
Etienne Bell, Cologne
Lifetime experience. There’s no other way I can describe it – and that is only scratching the surface. It could hardly be more intense! We spent incredible days in Washington and New York, had so many brilliant conversations and turned into a family with our group. The visit to the White House (topped off with a short appearance from Joe Biden), the background discussion with ex- Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, the Harlem church service with band and singing in the Abyssinian Baptist Church or the conversation with a 9/11 survivor at Ground Zero were just some of the many highlights. Thank you to Erik, RIAS and the crew for making this possible.”
Nadja Bobrova, Cologne The 2022 RIAS program in the U.S. was a total “game changer” for me. If someone had told me beforehand that I would be meeting Joe Biden on the White House grounds – I would have laughed in disbelief. If someone told me before the program that I would be eating at the same table with Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, and talking about his feelings of remorse – I probably wouldn’t have been able to imagine it. The same goes for meeting and getting to know the wonderful Katy Geraghty, an actress, just before her performance on Broadway – being so casual and relaxed, just an hour before she rocked the stage with full power. To say that the program was enriching is just like nothing at all. It changed the way I look at the United States. While I am still here, I am already planning the next trip to this country full of contradictions. For this experience I thank RIAS and Erik Kirschbaum from the bottom of my heart. Nowhere else in the world I would have been able to see and learn so much in a few weeks.
Janelle Dumalaon, Berlin
From Washington DC, to New York, to South Dakota. These three weeks have been among
the most enriching I have ever experienced. A mix of science, politics, and human interest – and even a little show business – came together for us to teach us more about the United States than we would have ever experienced on our own. We also had the opportunity to tour newsrooms in DC and NYC, to discuss how they covered the news in this increasingly complicated environment. It was fascinating to see what they did differently, and comforting to find what we had in common – that we’re all doing our best to tell the story of our time. I will also never forget my wonderful cohort, or my amazing, generous hosts in Sioux Falls, who helped me report a story on how inflation is affecting South Dakotan farmers ahead of the midterm elections. Thank you RIAS!
Najima El Moussaoui, Cologne
I don’t think I’ve experienced as many new, exciting and thrilling things in this density in the past three years as I have in the past three weeks in the USA. And that is no exaggeration. Already in the first two weeks in Washington and New York, an insane amount of things happened that will remain in my memory: the visit to the White House in particular and the meeting with a survivor of the 9/11 attacks. Seeing Joe Biden jogging to his helicopter – that’s for the story and the show. By contrast, listening to Gordon Huie, who tried to save lives on 9/11 and lost his sister and since then has trouble sleeping through a night – all of this has a lasting effect. Today is the last day of my third week. I’m drinking a pumpkin spice latte with coconut milk and cream and listening to country music. This is the effect of RIAS after three weeks. I would really like to stay longer – also because my host Yami Virgin in San Antonio (Texas) is doing everything she can to make sure I get the “full experience”. I was allowed to accompany her in her work: officer suicides, shootings involving police officers, and immigrants coming to the U.S. via Mexico. Those are her stories. We had a lot of fun despite the seriousness of them. And: Yami, statistically I will see you again. Thank you RIAS, thank you Erik and his team in Berlin and the USA for this unforgettable experience. Despite the many conversations about cultural differences: “there is more that connects us then divides us.” (Wolfgang Tillmans, MoMA, NYC, 2022)
Tom Garus, Berlin
When you get chills, joy and watery eyes all at once, something must have gone pretty well with the RIAS exchange program in autumn 2022. RIAS opened doors to me I would never have walked through. Starting literally with the visit of the White House press briefing room in D.C., followed by background talks with controversial characters like Donald Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen or Harvey Weinsteins PR manager Juda Engelmayer. Learning about the good, the bad and the ugly in the United States, questioning if I ever really new something about this huge country while having a-ha breakthrough moments at the most of the more than three dozen meetings with news correspondents, diplomats, politicians and vanguard media innovators like the New York Times journalists at The Daily. What really was an eye-opener for me was my station week at East Texas TV station KLTV. Here I experienced why Texans don’t want anybody tell them what to do. What their definition of freedom is and how this is embodied in their gun policies and their reluctance to climate change… while believing in the American Dream – not only for themselves but also for the hundreds of thousands incoming migrants. I cannot stress this point enough: The station week really made the difference for me at the RIAS exchange program in autumn 2022.
Kristin Becker, Berlin
So I thought, I had seen and felt it all… Joe Biden at the White House jogging to Marine One, the floors of the US capitol eerily reminiscent of the insurrection of January 6th, Trump’s Ex-lawyer-turned-enemy Michael Cohen in Park Avenue and Harvey Weinstein’s stoic publicist Juda Engelmeier, the excitement when stepping into the hallowed halls of the New York Times, the immense sadness that still emanates from Ground Zero (thanks so much to Gordon Huie for sharing his heartbreaking story, may the world not forget) and the overall intensity of the city that never sleeps. And than I came to Utah. Where brave journalists at fairly small commercial and even smaller public broadcasting stations try their best to cover a vast territory with very different issues – from traffic incidents (Utah unfortunately has one of the worst hit and run rates in the US), to sports, and, more pressing, to weather and the worsening situation of the Great Salt Lake (which has led to a unique coalition of media outlets sharing their reporting https://greatsaltlakenews.org), the LDS Church, indigenous rights and politics (for the first time in ages there was a close US senate race between an indepedent candidate and a Republican incumbent). Not to forget the award-winning investigative podcasts they produce at KSL – thanks to Sheryl Worsley and Dave Cawley for sharing their insights. Well, and than there is the KSL News Chopper 5… to see the Salt Lake valley and the Wasatch mountains from above made me feel humble, elated, grateful (thumps up to Alex and Ben) and ready to embark onto the next journalistic adventures. Three incredible weeks in Washington D.C., New York City, Salt Lake City with the best travel mates in the world (love you guys!): Thanks so much to RIAS, Erik, Sheryl, Adam and everyone else for making this amazing journey possible.
Jutta Krug, Cologne
Intense, eye opening and pretty unique – this is my description of the RIAS program. If during one of the first meetings you will think this is definitely the highlight – you will be mistaken. The next day you will have the same thought and the day after as well. And if you think you already know the US – you are mistaken a second time. The US seems so familiar to us since we grew up on US music, movies and ideals. But there is definitely an important “cultural difference“ – so frequently quoted during our stay. Nonetheless – what we really share on both sides of the Atlantic is the perception of a deep crisis we are currently experiencing: the war in the Ukraine, the division and polarisation in the society, the climate crisis and its horrendous consequences. – It all contributes to
a deep feeling of disorientation and foreboding. This is certainly why we all
appreciated the Broadway musical we saw – my personal highlight, really – our German group as well as the American audience: INTO THE WOODS – a mystical story of fairytales and an enchanting nature, of human beings achieving empowerment and self realisation on a collaborative basis. What a dream for all of us.
Mareike Makosch, Mannheim
“Squeeze the experiences of the last three weeks in a short three to six sentence summary, please.” Honestly, I don’t think the page space of War and Peace would suffice to describe the memories we made, the insights we gained, and the information we absorbed during the RIAS October program of 2022. Not gonna lie: you’ll have to run, you won’t get enough sleep, and you won’t get to process and decompress until you’ve landed back home in Germany. Plus, the initial emptiness afterwards is significant, for me at least. But that is exactly what the RIAS experience is all about: a packed schedule with inspiring talks at NPR radio or The New York Times, high powered guest speakers like Harvey Weinstein’s PR manager Juda Engelmayer, or Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, interesting conversations with fellow journalists about the fragile state of democracy in the US and how it feels to be a correspondent in turbulent times, a new impression of a country I thought I knew, and, last but not least, tons of fun moments. Karaoke will never feel the same without you, my fellow RIAS family. Personal highlight: I actually got to present the news at the local country radio station in Bend, Oregon. What a thrill! This have been three of the most intense weeks of my life, and I loved every second of it.
Marcel Wagner, Cologne
If I had known how much this programme would bring me, I would have wanted to join much, much earlier. Thanks to the RIAS Commission, to all the great speakers and interviewees and especially to the colleagues from CNN International in Atlanta. The visit there remains my absolute highlight. It is also exciting for me to see how such a large broadcaster works. I sat for hours in the control room and during the programmes in the studio and asked many questions. The programme is different from that of ntv, for example, but the work behind it is similar. I can’t forget the RIAS programme and would take part again at any time.
Annika Witzel, Cologne
What an incomparable and unique program! The meetings, insights and conversations that we were able to experience cannot be paid for with any money in the world and are only possible due to the incredible RIAS network. Never in my life would I have been able to meet Michael Cohen or Juda Engelmayer, enter the newsroom of NPR or attend a church service in Harlem. Station Week was also educational in its own unique way. I was able to be first-hand at local productions and help out, outside of the somewhat “elitist” bubbles of DC and New York City. A real asset to better understand the US as a complex entity. Another highlight was the very special connection within the group – not only professional relationships have grown here, but friendships for life. A true enrichment for me as a journalist and as a person. Thank you!
Erik Kirschbaum, Executive Director RIAS Berlin Commission, Berlin
Every group of journalists on a fast-moving two-week-long RIAS Berlin fellowship to Washington DC and New York is different with its own rhythm and dynamics. Yet the October 2022 group of 11 journalists from Germany to the USA may have had an especially outstanding experience because they have such different backgrounds: with family origins in six different countries (Russia, Morocco, Philippines, Turkey, USA and Germany), it has been the most diverse group ever and was in some ways a microcosm of modern Germany itself — with a wealth of different talents. They also came from eastern and western states, from commercial networks and public broadcasting, and ranged in age from baby boomers to millennials. They came well-prepared which greatly enhanced their experience. They got so much out of the packed program with up to five meetings each day and so much from each other as a curious and close-knit group. Great group. Great time. Great experience. Tough act to follow.
