Programs for US Broadcast Journalists
Two-Week Germany Program
each year in June and September
2-Week RIAS Summer Program for Journalists – June 15 to 28, 2025
2-Week RIAS Fall Program for Journalists – September 7 to 20, 2025
The RIAS Berlin Commission Journalist Program is an intensive two-week long trip to Germany and Brussels for active, mid-career journalists to take some time out from their day jobs to explore journalism in depth and the outside world. Travel and accommodation costs are covered by the fellowship.
More than 1,900 American and German broadcast journalists have participated in this unique transatlantic exchange since it was inaugurated in 1994 to keep the spirit of the legendary Cold War-era radio and TV station Radio in American Sector (RIAS) alive after it went off the air at the end of 1993. The fellows from the United States and Germany have been building bridges of understanding — professionally and personally — through the RIAS Berlin Commission alumni network ever since. The alumni have created a vibrant network by hosting visiting German journalists at their stations in the US, attending alumni meetings, and staying connected through the online Fellow directory and our website.
Program applicants must be full-time radio, TV, or online journalists, either staff or freelancers. German language skills not required. We ask that applicants have a minimum of five years of continued professional journalism experience prior to applying for the program. The RIAS BERLIN COMMISSION exchange is a comprehensive fellowship, providing participants with round-trip air travel from their home market to the United States, travel in and across the USA, and hotel accommodations during the program. Some meals are also provided during the program. Additionally, participants are responsible for a $500 contribution fee, paid before their departure to Europe.
APPLICATION PACKAGE
The following material should be included in your application package:
1: Completed application form
2: Résumé / CV
3: Letter or recommendation (LOR) from your supervisor
4: Two essays (see Application PDF Download Form – Page 2)
PROGRAM DATES & DEADLINES
Applications for the Fall 2025 program can be found at: www.riasberlin.org/en/programs/ Please submit your application by Sunday, March 16 11:59 p.m. PT. Applicants are apprised of their status within one month of the application deadline. Please send your completed application forms and required materials in one PDF or Word file to apply@riasberlin.org
Berlin ERP Student Program
ERP Summer Program for US Students – May 18 to June 7, 2025
US university students are invited to apply for a three-week intensive study program on The project is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, APPLICATION PACKAGE The following material should be included in your application package: 1: Completed application form 2: Résumé / CV 3: Letter or recommendation (LOR) from a professor or a work supervisor 4: Two essays (see Application PDF Download Form – Page 2) PROGRAM DATES & DEADLINES We are no longer accepting applications for the summer 2025 student program. Download Student RIAS Application Comments about the German-American Exchange Program Our briefings with so many of the nation’s top political, social, military and financial leaders, coupled with our ability to sample life in so much of present-day Germany — eastern and western — provided the best possible guide to understanding one of the most important countries on the world scene. A terrible program! Peter Landis, News Director, New York 1 News, New York It’s not just a media tour in terms of hearing the official line–you get ample opportunity to ask country. It was a very good reminder that the world is awfully small and even if we’re focused on a local market, there are numerous links ties between our two countries and many reasons to be interested in Germany. Johanna Cleary, News Director, Alabama Public Television, Montgomery, AL The most fascinating part of the trip was what I didn’t expect – that reunification was not a done deal – it is an ongoing process. This truly opened my eyes — he issues for Germany, such as thinking about losing the Deutschmark as losing their identity – all these things that would have never occurred to me. Doris Bergman, Producer, New York 1 News, New York I was struck by how many of the problems we face in the US are very similar to the problems in Germany — balancing the budget, should we cut taxes, immigration problems. It surprised me that Germany faces so many of the same dilemmas as we do, and seeing how they are working to solve them. Mark Curtis, Correspondent, Cox Broadcasting, Washington Hosting German journalists gives you a good opportunity to reexamine how you do what you do from an outsiders point of view. It’s a great learning experience. The chance to exchange ideas with your peers from outside the market is an invaluable tool for your staff. I think every newsroom — no matter what market size — should take advantage of this. Rod Jackson, Managing Editor, KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City, 1997 Fellowship Host I was pleasantly surprised when I started working on my series at how many ties Germany already has with my small state of West Virginia — and those ties are growing. I am glad that I was able to help my audience understand some of those transatlantic relationships. Jim Wallace, News Director, West Virginia Public Radio Germans and Americans have common roots, but more important, striking differences. By exposing ourselves to other cultures, we can learn from their successes, avoid their shortcomings and see our own country more objectively. This program offers an outstanding incentive for journalists to build a cultural bridge between audiences. Dick Custin, Reporter and Weekend Anchor for WZZM-TV, Grand Rapids, MI
journalism in Germany and the role of broadcast journalism during the Cold War era. Funded largely by a grant from the German government (ERP) and organized by the RIAS Berlin Commission, up to 15 outstanding journalism or international studies. Students will be invited to take part in the three-week program in Germany to learn more about journalism in Germany, the role that broadcasters like the Berlin-based RIAS played during the Cold War and the current political landscape of Germany.
funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi).
Hosting German Journalists at your station
Program Support
program videos
RIAS Exchange With RIAS in Germany 2011