In Cologne, American journalists start one-week special alumni program
American journalists who took part in RIAS Berlin Commission exchange programs over the last 25 years came together in Cologne for the start of a special one-week “short/alumni” program designed to take an updated look at Germany, make new connections with other US-based alumni members and meet with German alumni of the binational program.
The Americans got off to a flying start with an hour-look meeting with the program director of WDR television in Cologne, Jörg Schönenbörn right after he anchored the popular weekly “Presseclub” television talk show watched by millions of German viewers each Sunday.
Schönenbörn talked about Germany’s worsening housing shortage, the upcoming important regional election in the state of Bavaria, some of the changes and developments in German broadcasting media and his epiphany back during the 2016 election in the United States working on a story in New Mexico when he suddenly understood why Donald Trump had struck such deep chord among ordinary Americans.
The Americans also had the chance to visit WDR radio and TV newsrooms, talk with journalists Jutta Drug, Birgit Becker as well as “1Live” reporter Mathis Trapp. They also had a chance to attend a Catholic service inside the Cologne Cathedral. On Monday, a group of Americans visited the “Kölner Stadtanzeige” newspaper for a talk with Joachim Franke, a former priest turned reporter who has helped uncover scandals involving the powerful Catholic church in Cologne.
They also visited NTV and RTL television news studios across the Rhine River, and talked with anchor Gesa Eberl and Gordian Fritz, a correspondent who has covered the war in Ukraine for the commercial networks. Several Americans also had the chance to visit the German Aerospace Center and learn more about the country’s space program. A group of political science students from Bonn University spent part of the afternoon talking to the Americans about their tuition-free studies in Germany and the challenges they face.
