Chris Cifatte, WINK-TV, Fort Myers, FL

Question from our producer during a recent newscast: Can you “adlib” something about the new loans to Greece and the debt crisis? My reply: Sure. And I’ll throw in something about NATO and the European Union.

So — already I’ve been able to use what I learned on the trip directly during one of our newscasts. I’m sure there will be other opportunities — but I found it gratifying to know that I was already using what I learned.

Additionally, several things still strike me from our two weeks in Germany. Like always, traveling reminds me of the common quests of all people. But I am now keenly aware of some differences in our cultures (and how they shape our “realities”) that I will carry with me for a long time.

The degree to which the Second World War is still a part of daily life in Berlin shocked me almost every day. At the Ministry of Defense, we heard that theme come up over and over again as it pertains to today’s military policy. It makes sense in a way because Germany both lost and won World War II. No one we heard could or would argue that Germany was on the right side of that war.  So the loss was a win that helped shape the country into what it is today. But it clearly has a strong affect on the country’s psyche that makes it a real part of life even in 2011.

Berlin was by far my favorite city on the trip — one of my favorite all time cities period. I took from it a sense of atonement and progress that are intertwined. And, at the same time, a sense that some of the issues that lead up to the holocaust aren’t fully resolved. Our speaker on Turkish immigration made the clear point that so many immigrants to Germany are never allowed to assimilate into the culture in their lifetimes. Issues of race and belonging seem to still be a part of everyday life to an elevated degree even as we heard Germans repeatedly denounce the Nazis as killers. It felt like a very fine line at times between denouncing past atrocities — but dealing with underlying attitudes regarding race that may not have shifted as much as they could have in some cases.

However, one of the striking things about Berlin is that its history is alive everywhere. Someone we met on our last day of the trip in Brussels said they were shocked at how little of the Berlin Wall was saved. I disagree. There are several places in town where it is being preserved. But its meaning — and the meaning of the holocaust are everywhere. The city literally seems to be living tribute to those who suffered. Specialized groups (i.e. gays) have a memorial where their particular suffering and slaughter was noted and a special commitment now to advancing the cause of equality because of it. A memorial to the gypsies (so many of whom were murdered) is being put together. Harsh and touching at the same time. The city has a real heart to it. Maybe not as cohesive a heart as some other big cities — but it’s getting there.

As for the media we visited — the starkest differences to me were the simplest things. In our group, we talked for days about the concept for the two morning shows on national TV alternating weeks. It underscores the degree to which journalism is a business in the United States. Maybe from a pure journalism and resources point of view, the public is just as well served by the alternating model. I would think stronger competition would serve the audience better. But even when we asked questions about establishing your self as a news brand and competing head to head — the concept seemed foreign. It highlights the differences in the systems. The largely public system of funding media allows for a lot of in-depth coverage of big issues — and there’s an audience for it. I don’t think the American audience has that same appetite — and I think our hyper-competitive marketplace responds to that.

After Berlin, the atmosphere of the trip (and the country) really seemed to change. In Leipzig, the theme to me was progress. Even the part they remember about their role in the end of East Germany is forward-looking. With the exception of the Stasi museum there — it is western society all around. They didn’t just step into it — they leapt. The old stores that once housed the market village now contain names like Mont Blanc, Gucci and Lacoste. Good restaurants, nightlife, etc. It seems as though the city is continually celebrating the progress it helped create. 

Cologne felt less and less a part of the history of post war Germany and more a thriving city. Clearly, there is plenty of “Old Europe” around — but in the brief time we were there the city felt different to me than any of the others. It may be a simple matter of geography — further away from the post-war division of the country simply because it always was clearly in the west. The city seems to have had more time to build its own identity.

Our last days in Brussels provided great learning opportunities. As I said, the NATO and EU sessions have already helped me with my job. I had already been to Brussels so the city was not as much of a thrill as the places we visited in Germany. Still, it was a great time to cement new friendships around what we had learned, what we had laughed about (“follow me”) and what we had all seen together.

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Christina Cotterman, FOX News, Washington, D.C.

I’d like to start by saying the RIAS Journalist Exchange Program was everything I had hoped it would be and far more.  How fortunate it was that our two-week program took place at a critical time for Germany and her European partners. We had a front row seat as leaders grappled with major challenges on energy, foreign policy and, most especially, regional economics.

As we explored the Greek economic crisis in more detail, I was struck by the unenviable position Germany found herself in. As Europe’s most robust economy — leaders stressed over finding a way to help stabilize Germany’s neighbors, without shaking her own economic core. Germany’s economy so far appears resilient amidst the region’s debt crisis. The economy is experiencing solid growth, driven by strong exports and a low unemployment rate.

Delving deeper into the politics of Germany was fascinating. I especially enjoyed the tours of the Deutscher Bundestag and Federal Chancellery. While the U.S. political system is dominated by two major parties, in Germany there are several more with power — often requiring the formation of coalition governments. The current center-right coalition, led by Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel, recently raised eyebrows with decisions on the future of nuclear energy, and choosing to abstain from NATO-led military action in Libya. It was interesting to discuss this matter with a member of Mrs. Merkel’s own political party, the CDU, who considered it a mistake to not join the military efforts in Libya.

I walked away from the Fellowship with a far better understanding of how the European Commission and NATO operate and the roles each plays internationally. These critical institutions will continue to have a major impact on U.S. policy and headlines here at home. Our talks with invited guests at NATO also provided key insight into the U.S. frame of mind with regards to the ongoing mission in Libya and the war in Afghanistan.

While important to learn about Germany as she is today, many of the Fellowship’s highlights for me were learning about the country’s darker yesterdays. I was deeply moved by our tour of the Hohenschönhausen Memorial. The cells and stories of horror inside those walls were haunting, especially coming from our guide, who herself was imprisoned there. 

Leipzig was more than just a beautiful city with amazing churches (and great ice cream!) The city has a wonderful story to tell — playing a key role in the fall of communism in Eastern Germany. The walking tour took us to the very spots where East Germans bravely stood up for themselves, helping bring down their oppressive government. 

I also enjoyed taking a closer look at German reunification and the issues that still remain between the former East and West. There is no doubt the process has come a long way — as seen with the election of Angela Merkel of  the former East Germany — but more still needs to be done. Perhaps one invited guest said it best when saying 20 years in and Germany has still not fully achieved inner unification. 

As a journalist, I truly enjoyed meeting and learning from members of the German media — as they helped us explore the dynamics of the country’s public broadcasting networks versus private media outlets. The public side operates primarily with the money collected through the monthly mandatory fee for each household with TV and radio. That compares to private stations which are financed only with advertising revenue. Despite that major difference, there is still a healthy competition for the largest market share of key groups. But after our visit with RTL’s Peter Kloeppel, it was easy to see how the respected journalist — coupled with the amazing station in Cologne — keep RTL at the top of their game!

During my stay in Germany, I was also continuously struck at the wonderful quality of life many Germans enjoy — thanks in part to the strong, growing economy. Stores, restaurants and cafes were busy at all hours of the day. I was also deeply impressed with the public transit system in Berlin — having such reliable transportation options is a blessing (have you seen the traffic in and around Washington, D.C.?)

In summary, as I think back to each RIAS memory with a smile — I realize the Fellowship has only invigorated my interest in German affairs! There’s still much more to learn about Germany, its politics and people — therefore, I’ll need to be invited back…SOON! J… Vielen Dank und Auf Wiedersehen!

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Jason Evans, CNN Newsource, Atlanta, GA

I’ve been to Europe now some seven times. From more typical haunts like the Eiffel Tower to more out of the way locales like eastern Croatia, I’ve had a lifelong love for the “old world.”

So I’ll be honest and say the bar was set pretty high when I went on the RIAS Fellowship program. But as I quickly learned my passport was taking me on a totally different journey.

The Fellowship provided amazing contact with policy makers in the region. Going on a tour of a castle but sitting down with the German undersecretary of defense is equally as memorable. Or a meeting with a German network’s evening news anchor. I can’t say I had a sit down with Brian Williams on my last vacation.

Because RIAS is so respected, I found that those we met with took us seriously. I participated in some great discussions, and heard “shoot from the hip” responses from those that we had appointments with. A good example that comes to mind would be the ARD Berlin bureau chief, who I held in high regard for telling our sizable group that German manufacturers would have to look elsewhere for an export market, as Americans could no longer “afford” their products. Of course this is just one person’s opinion, but again this was the type of candidness that only connected programs like RIAS can give.

However because RIAS has years of experience the itinerary is finely tuned between the meetings and the sight seeing. You don’t feel overwhelmed, there is a sense that even though the idea is for you to gain professional context as it relates to Germany and the EU, fun does not go by the wayside.

Since my return I’ve recommended the Fellowship to several colleagues who have all agreed that it sounds amazing. I put together a natural sound package for my department on RIAS, and I’m currently hosting two German RIAS Fellows who are doing the Europe to U.S. end of the Fellowship.

Overall the RIAS Fellowship was very well run, I appreciated the great people we met with, the attention to detail on the part of the organizers, as well as the solid balance between meetings and more relaxed events. I hope to continue my association with RIAS for years to come.

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Kenneth Fischer, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

In the spring of 1975 I was backpacking through Europe. My traveling companion ran out of money and went back home to California. I still had a month left on my Eurail pass. After waving him good-bye from England I headed back to mainland Europe. One place I knew I had to go was Berlin. I grew up watching the news film that told the story of the Cold War and the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. It was an incredible experience for a young college student to go through Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin. I walked the mile or so past the bombed out area left untouched by the Soviets. I finally made it to the Soviet War Memorial. It was a monument of the victor in the most vicious war mankind has seen between two totalitarian systems. If the other side had won a similar remembrance would’ve been erected in Moscow’s Red Square. That image was in my mind. I made my first priority once I was settled in at our hotel in Berlin to go to Checkpoint Charlie.  Fortunately, the hotel was only a few blocks away. I knew things had changed but the transformation from 36 years ago is breathtaking. When I saw this new united Berlin it crystallized in my mind how German society has changed since the Wall came down. That experience alone made the RIAS trip worthwhile for me. The remaining 11 days were a bonus.

The June 2011 trip included educational, cultural and social experiences that our group will never forget. The combination of visits to media outlets and political organizations, cultural excursions and evening dinners in five cities over less than 14 days was a whirlwind. But once I got over jet lag the first few days I was having a wonderful time. The political briefings were invaluable. The visit to the Ministry of Defense helped with understanding the role of the Bundeswehr in the post-cold-war era. I sensed from the officer hosting us that the modern German Army wants to do its part in various Allied missions. But the military is concerned about getting involved because of Germany’s past. It became a theme to hear various hosts say a similar phrase about “how it should never happen again.” This mantra appears to be part of the German national conscience for the generation now in leadership roles in politics, the military and business. Their parents lived through the aftermath of World War II and obviously influenced them.

Another eye-opening experience came with our briefing from the Reuters reporter. The concept of politicians and others claiming the right to check quotes caught the American audience off guard. German news organizations could refuse to share the quotes prior to publication. But as it was pointed out, it could be a very dicey situation if a politician wanting to check quotes is constantly turned down. The reporter needs to have a long-term relationship with them. I was glad to hear from other reporters in Germany that this practice is random and some reporters and organizations refuse to indulge politicians in previewing quotes. One such German reporter was among the group of three broadcast journalists I joined on our “Friday night date.” Besides seeing Checkpoint Charlie, the evening with the reporters was my most enjoyable experience on the trip. The three reporters included: my main host (a political reporter), the person staying at the 10th story flat where we met at (a radio reporter who covered the U.S. presidential election) and a presenter from the same television channel where the political reporter worked. The radio reporter cooked a tasty meal for all of us as we discussed everything from the geopolitical situation to day-to-day life in Berlin. The main host is the daughter of the former German ambassador to the U.K. and her Great-Uncle was the Chief of Staff of the German Army during the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. My Great-Grandfather was a foot soldier wounded in that same war. It is indeed a small world.

Also in Berlin, we had an interesting lunch that most of the RIAS Fellows probably wished had lasted longer. A Turkish member of the Berlin Parliament provided us a peek at the problems former immigrants face as they try to assimilate into general European society. What he shared about his Turkish community within Berlin was fascinating.

I’m glad we visited Leipzig and Cologne. In Leipzig I had a chance to join a former student of mine and her husband and others for dinner at their apartment. This gave me another personalized experience similar to the dinner with the reporters in Berlin. I didn’t know much about Leipzig other the city is home to a great university. Only on this trip did I learn that Leipzig was where the peaceful protest movement in East Germany started at a Lutheran church in the city center. Also, I learned for the first time that the American Army occupied the city from April to June 1945 before having to turn it over to the Soviets. Like the entire trip this was a humbling experience. Only when you actually visit a country can you truly learn about its past, people and culture. In Cologne I was enlightened about the old Roman city. The Roman history we study in U. S. school usually stops at the Alps. I knew very little about how the Rhine served as a natural barrier between the Romans and the Germanic tribes. 

The final few days in Belgium turned us more into tourists of sorts. But that was ok with me. I enjoyed our boat ride and train rides. Those Belgian waffles are special.  But we still had time to get in visits to the European Union and NATO before heading back to the U.S. From the standpoint of being journalists these sessions (along with the time at the Reichstag) were the most informative. We had some very candid briefings from officials about the status of the Euro, the Greece situation and Libya. I left much more informed about issues I thought I knew a lot about but realized how little I truly understood them.    

I’ve wanted to take part in the RIAS program since the late 1990s. After having knee replacement surgery (both knees!) over the last three years, I was ready to apply again.  I’m grateful to Rainer Hasters and Jon Ebinger for selecting me this year.  The trip is an experience I’ll always remember. I look forward to hosting another set of German journalists at the University of Oklahoma in 2012.  When we host the journalists it’s a win, win situation. It’s great for our students, the journalists and the media professionals they visit in Oklahoma City.

And finally, I’m grateful the RIAS staff is flexible and allowed enough free time to create some of our own experiences.  Rainer, Isabell and Lisa are generous people and very giving with their time and insights. They represent their wonderful country well. I only hope they feel the same about us Americans.

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Julian Hills, CNN Newsource, Atlanta, GA

Whose world is this? The World is yours…

Those are rap lyrics by the highly respected American Rapper, named, NAS. The song is called “The World Is Yours.”

I am a huge Rap Music fan.

Besides The United States, Germany and Japan are the biggest markets for Rap Music in the world.

Germany’s obsession with Rap Music came to my attention more than a decade ago, and it is probably the piece of trivia I knew best about the country before attending RIAS Berlin. I remember when I first learned this information, I was totally floored:  Like seriously? They are crazy about Rap in Deutschland?!?!

I was always curious to know what that experience would be like, and always hoped to get to Berlin in order to find out. It was on my bucket list, but not at the top. I guess I always imagined I’d get there, but I never knew when it would happen. As time went on, I met lots of German friends in the States (I once lived in Orlando, and bumped into quite a few Disney World Tourists.)  They always picked up at the fact that I had a curiosity about Germany, which usually prompted people to tell me; “you should really go over there — you’ll love it.” After years, and years of having that conversation, I finally got the opportunity to go this spring.

German-born Basketball player Dirk Nowitzki led the American Basketball team, The Dallas Mavericks to an NBA title on June 12, 2011. I arrived in Berlin on June 13th, and my first memory of Berlin was seeing a huge poster with his image on it. That was weird, because it wasn’t what I expected my first impression to be. German’s were proud of his accomplishment. Nowitzki is the first German-born player to win an NBA title as The Most Valuable Player.

It was kind of a big deal. In a way, I guess in its own way, it was an accomplishment that sort of symbolized how a place with SO much history is changing the way the world sees it and how it sees itself.

I had been in Berlin for a day or two, and most of the signs that I had seen, seemed foreign to me (besides that one.) It was probably a result of a sensory overload of words I hadn’t seen before. I had never been out of the United States, and I felt like a baby who opened his eyes for the first time.

I had a cartoonish awareness of what I believed Germany to be: (Heidi Klum, Hogan’s Heroes, Samson the Bear on Sesamstraße, Wetten Dass, Knut the Polar Bear, and Oktoberfest.) Joking aside, besides the obvious things we learn in American History books, I soon began to find out that Germany had a lot of character. Berlin itself was hip, colorful, and graphic with graffiti on every surface that could be painted. The city excited me, even though I didn’t know where I was most of the time, I wasn’t worried about my safety. It had electricity that I imagine New York City had in the 1980’s.

I was vaguely aware of Germany’s history, but a bit ignorant — a lot ignorant — to how much of it still shaped modern society. Considering that The Berlin Wall has only been down for 20 years — a unified country is a relatively new concept, still weary with growing pains (but hey, they now have an NBA-MVP!) As the RIAS agenda began, I started to understand how and why a society that began centuries ago and went through its amazing revolution and social change over hundreds and hundreds of years ended up being Brooklyn, New York circa 1989.

I could discuss going to the Federal Defense Ministry (because I really loved it), or visiting Reichstag (because it was a really unique experience), or going to the U.S. Embassy, traveling to Brussels (a new place that I have fallen in love with), visiting NATO headquarters, or the European Union… but I won’t… because everybody else will.

You’ll never understand the true, personal impact RIAS Berlin had on my life if I don’t bring it back to my first love.

My defining moment in Germany (possibly even Europe) came randomly on the last Saturday Night we spent in Berlin. True disclosure: I felt like a week had gone by, and Berliners had collective grown tired of us “Americans” who seemed to always be in a loud and “annoying” group in their eyes. I imagined many probably wondered why we’d take pictures of things so mundane, like Bahnhof signs. At this point, my energy was a bit low, I was a little homesick… with a week to go in Europe, I felt like I had already worn out my welcome. Luckily, a German based-RIAS Fellow, named Hanna Ender wanted to show a few of us American Fellows a good time in her home town. She ended up taking us to a German “Clubrestaurant” Spindler & Klatt.

Apparently a “Clubrestaurant,” as all of the travel guides call it, is a restaurant that removes its tables after a certain hour and becomes a dancehall.

It was kind of a fascinating building, it was rather nondescript on the outside, possibly even kind of seedy (in a good way) and industrial. (I later found out it was built in a former factory), it’s now well designed and highly swanky on the inside. It was a huge place and in the main room, the DJ was playing rap music. Not just rap music, but CLASSIC RAP MUSIC from my teenaged years. I’m 34 years-old if that tells you how “classic” the music was. I was already a little-bit mesmerized by the idea of it all… but this was the Germany I had always imagined. I was immediately sold on the experience, and I was more than ready to indulge the moment I stepped in. I think I even annoyed the staff by dancing before they moved all of the dining tables out of the room.

Once the dance floor became established, I think my over-enthusiasm attracted people to the floor much earlier than they normally would have. Apparently, Germans start to arrive in earnest around 2AM, and it was probably only 11:30 or midnight. Besides the other RIAS Fellows that came, I was the only American in the room. Most of the people didn’t speak English the way I did, and my Pigeon German didn’t go over so well. But the amazing part of the whole thing was that I wasn’t the only one reciting the lyrics. I wasn’t even the only one who knew every word to every song. Each song was my favorite song, and the next song was more favorite than the previous one. I loved the music, I loved dancing, I loved the crowd, the crowd loved me and my dance moves. Berlin became this amazing love-fest.

It was the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I got hugs and handshakes by a lot of kids who were totally different from me, but liked my style. I liked theirs too! Everyone in the room was equally in love with the same thing. At that time, I was not American, they were not German. We were all the same… very sweaty Rap Music fans. Any fundamental differences and language barriers that may have existed, any culture shock or misunderstandings that happened to me in Germany prior to this moment were completely gone. For the first time, I honestly did not feel like a stranger in a strange land. I was on top of the world.

Just like the song says… The world was mine.

———

Andrew Horansky, KVUE-TV, Austin, TX

Beneath a nearly cloudless blue sky, 58-year old Vera Lengsfeld remembers a very dark past. Nearly 25 years ago, she was a political prisoner at Hohenschönhausen, Berlin’s notorious Stasi prison. On this day in June, she leads our group of visiting American journalists down the hallways that once contained her world.

Aside from the outer barbed wire walls closing us in, the compound could easily be mistaken for an old hospital. Roses now bloom at the site where prisoners were humiliated, interrogated — even tortured.  Like most of the guides here, Lengsfeld has first-hand knowledge of what happened.

Arrested as a peace activist in 1988, Lengsfeld spent only a month at Hohenschönhausen before she was exported to the West.  Leaders in the former GDR wanted her out. Yet she returned to Berlin the following year, and it was that return that made her personal story so strange and complex to me. Lengsfeld would learn that her husband, the father of her two children, was a spy.  He had prior knowledge of her pending arrest, and he could have stopped it.

Though the two divorced, the story represents for me the internal, conflicted struggle that Germans still have.  Despite the country’s economic and social success which we saw first-hand during our visit, we also saw ways in which history continues to be a burden. Ghosts are not at rest. Just what to forget and who, if anyone, to forgive can weigh heavily upon members of the population.

Throughout RIAS, it was difficult to believe this had ever been such a land gone wrong. We visited ZDF’s “Morgenmagazin” and the newsroom of RTL’s “Aktuell” and could appreciate the sophistication of German television in both public and private sectors.  We toured the Bundestag, where we had a taste of how the democratic process now works. We even visited our embassy, where the U.S. Ambassador assured us of the healthy state of German-American affairs.

Yet we also visited Benderblock, where Hitler’s July 20th conspirators were executed.  We met a member of the Green Party who spoke about the shortcomings in Germany’s relationship with its Turks. In my free time I visited Wannsee, and stood where high-ranking Nazi party members decided on the “final solution.” On one rainy Saturday I also visited Sachsenhausen, the Nazi concentration camp where tens of thousands of prisoners died.

Put together, it is difficult to make sense of all these contrasting experiences — experiences I would have never had without the exceptional guidance of Isabell, Rainer, Lisa and Hildegard. And I sensed in Vera Lengsfeld’s deep blue eyes on that summer day with our group that the process never really ends.  As we stood together at Hohenschönhausen, I tried to make sense of a time that never really made sense.        

Today Ms. Lengsfeld is active in politics and a conservative voice in Germany. In her lifetime, she has been both embraced and betrayed by her land. Hardship has made her what she is — just as it can hopefully make her, and her country, ultimately better. Hers is one story of many that should be remembered, and no program allows American journalists to understand that better than RIAS.

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Scott McKenney, KVUE-TV, Austin, TX

My recent RIAS Fellowship experience in Germany and Belgium reshaped my world view. I developed a new respect for the perspectives of other countries, and saw how those perspectives can differ from those in my own country. At the same time, I learned how economically and politically connected we all are, despite our differences. And that was just the tip of it.

Our trip opened my eyes to events in history to which I had never really given much thought. Communist oppression became real as I walked through the neighborhoods of East Berlin and Leipzig. The horror of the Holocaust came to life as I recorded video on a tour of Sachsenhausen. Actually, Germany’s history often scared me, yet it also allowed me to appreciate the kind of hell from which the country has returned. To see Germany today, it is as if it never happened.

By far, our time in Berlin was my favorite part of the program. Germany’s capital is an amazing city full of art, history, politics, food, beer, and the best of all — conversation. I was impressed with how engaging the people were and how much they engaged me, despite my limited language skills. History and art were also interesting, as I saw both old and new blended before my eyes. The Reichstag and Potsdamer Platz were two places where the past and present architecturally came together, and I took plenty of pictures.

There were many special days. One of the most special for me was the first Friday, when we visited a Turkish restaurant called “Veli’s". We ate with a member of the Green Party who was of Turkish descent. While enjoying Turkish food for the first time, I learned about the very distasteful relationship that still exists between Germans and Turks today. The fact that RIAS did not try to hide this reality, and that they even scheduled the lunch in the first place, impressed me.

Ask anyone from our visit and they will tell you that I was not the “talker” in our group. Still, that did not stop me from learning a lot from our talks. I heard from politicians and journalists, and realized we all share a kind of idealism. What we do really isn’t all that different. Delivering the news in Austin is a lot like doing the news in Berlin — and that was eye-opening. Berlin and Austin are both capital cities, and our visit to the Reichstag gave me flashbacks to covering stories at the Texas State House.

As for the people we met, Vera Lengsfeld was among the most fascinating. Her tales of Stasi prison life moved me. We stood in rooms where people were tortured, and I could not believe what I saw, heard and felt. To know these things happened in the name of politics helped me to better understand the depth of suffering that the German people have now been enduring for decades.

There is no way that I will ever be able to forget these experiences — or to thank RIAS enough for them. At the same time, I cannot wait to go back one day and to learn even more.

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Liam Moriarty, KPLU/NPR, Seattle, WA

I found the program immensely interesting and useful. I had been to Berlin briefly once before, but having the better part of a week to explore this fascinating city was a real gift. Between the journalists who spoke to us (German and American, from print and broadcast) and the officials (Bundestag, Defense Ministry, U.S. embassy), I feel as though I got an amazingly well-rounded overview of German politics, economics, media and history.

I was struck by the enormity of the division of Germany, and of Berlin in particular, after World War II. Seeing the remnants of the Wall, touring a former Stasi prison and listening to a former prisoner drove home what a devastating thing it was to split a city in two, what a trauma it was for people on both sides of the Wall. We got a tour in Leipzig by a Fellow who took us around town and showed us where the first large protests against the East German regime had begun and we walked a part of the route of the massive demonstrations that essentially broke the back of the GDR. Walking through a preserved Stasi office building, with its gray-green steel desks and lines of file cabinets with dossiers on tens of thousands of German citizens, was to be reminded of Hannah Arendt’s phrase about “the banality of evil.”

Perhaps my biggest impression came from Berlin. We had off-the-record briefings with a highly-placed official in the CDU, as well as another in the Defense Ministry. While answering questions about recent political and diplomatic events, both said that Germany was hindered by the lingering impacts of its Nazi past. Both said the German people were extremely leery about their troops being deployed outside the country, and that they refused to allow German soldiers to be sent to countries which had once been occupied by the Wehrmacht (one suggested this was a major reason behind Germany’s decision — unpopular in the U.S. and the rest of Europe — to abstain from the UN Security Council vote to intervene in Libya). The defense official said in general, Germans don’t see the military as a particularly prestigious or even honorable career.

In a related context, I later blogged that “In conversations with German officials — from the Defense Ministry to national political parties — it seemed clear to me that Germans, even today, are living under the shadow of the enormous evil they allowed to emerge from their land more than three generations ago. When the drums started beating and the flags started waving and their leaders started evoking… patriotic cliches, they lined up and marched across the continent to visit horror on their neighbors and their own citizens, as well. And in Germany today, militarism — and even patriotism — still bears the stain of those blood crimes. For many Germans, it’s still impossible to feel truly good about their country.”

The lesson for me was that — nearly seventy years after the end of the war, that history continues to reverberate, continues to effect how Germany goes about its business. It makes one pray the world learned a lesson that won’t have to be repeated about the appalling costs of excessive patriotism and blind obedience to authority.

Not all of our experiences were quite so somber and serious. We spent a night at the opera in Berlin, had a lovely meal in the cellar in Leipzig where Goethe drank as a law student in 1765, and had time off to explore Berlin, Leipzig, Cologne and Brussels (I rented a bike in each city and went poking around on two wheels…). We also spent an afternoon in Bruges, including a boat tour of the historic canals.

All along, we Fellows were under the care of Rainer Hasters and his colleagues, Isabell and Lisa. Babysitting more than a dozen journalists for two weeks through five cities is somewhat akin to herding cats. That the RIAS crew did this with humor and patience is a testimony to their value to the organization

I consider my RIAS Fellowship to be a highlight of my journalism career. I’d recommend it to any mid-career journalist looking for a way to get out of their habitual mind-set and expand their perspective.

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Traci Neuman, WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, WI

My impressions of Germany

The two weeks I recently spent in Europe for the German-American Journalist exchange program, far exceeded my expectations. I was extremely impressed by the people, government, media and the culture of Germany.

I am of German decent but I always assumed that the generosity, pride and other traits of my relatives were unique to my family. I now know otherwise. I was taken aback at how kind the people as a whole were to us United States citizens. Shortly after arriving in Berlin, another Fellow and I went over to view the Checkpoint Charlie area and an elderly gentleman thanked us both for America’s part in bringing down the Berlin Wall. We were both stunned to hear that the locals will do that from time to time. I also sensed a large amount of pride from the German citizens, in the way that they spoke of their country. Another trait that hit close to home for me was the frugality of the German people and their responsibility when it comes to money management. There just isn’t the idea of having to show off your financial status, like in modern day America, where people put themselves into debt to keep up with their neighbors.       

There is an overall feeling of uneasiness that exists in the United States today because of the poor economy. I did not get the same sense from the German people. It appears at this time that Chancellor Merkel’s ways of handling the recession (her decision not to do massive bailouts and add more debt) may have been correct. The Germans have rebounded much faster from the global economic crisis. The concern instead, is the problems that exist in other European countries which are impacting the Euro. Despite challenges like these, the government appears to make it a point of looking out for the German citizens. Their policies for handling such things as unemployment, healthcare, and childcare are impressive.  

The German and American media have both similarities and differences. The structure of the news and the newsrooms are very similar. It was interesting to see how the layout and the contents of both the magazine shows and the daily newscasts parallel ours in the United States. The major difference that I observed was in the philosophy of news. The German people have the same ideas that we once had in that the better the content the higher the viewership. They have large budgets and their product benefits by sending people all over the world with two or three person crews working on a story. It brought back memories of the way we worked over a decade ago. Today American television stations have cut costs and are continuing to look for ways to cut more. The means of survival amongst our affiliates is to do more with less, even if it means a lower quality product. 

There is more of a relaxed attitude in Germany, they spend less time working and take more time for vacations and leisure. I was surprised when I got up early each day to run that the cities were still quiet, unlike America where people are always going non stop around the clock. Overall, I felt very comfortable in Germany because I didn’t find it drastically different from the United States. My biggest surprise was how much I loved the country. I can’t wait to go back to Germany again someday!

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Erik Olsen, The New York Times, New York, NY

My two-plus weeks in Berlin as part of the RIAS program was undoubtedly the highlight of my year. While my undergraduate studies were in European history and I felt fairly well-versed in the current state of European, particularly German affairs, the program gave me amazing first-hand experience and knowledge about the rapid and extensive changes taking place in modern Germany. What made the program most satisfying and wonderful, of course, were the amazing array of accomplished RIAS Fellows and the warm and welcoming (and also deeply knowledgeable) RIAS staff.

Starting out in Berlin, I was able to move about the city and meet people who provided a first-hand look at the incredible changes taking place right now in Germany. The eye-opening experience revealed what an incredibly vibrant and rapidly changing place Berlin is right now, how this city which was so ravaged by war and the cold war divisions, has really come into its own and is now a cultural center for all of Europe. The guided tour we were given on one of our first days in Berlin was fantastic. But just riding a bike (so easy to rent!) or walking around Berlin was a thrill, but so was meeting the many interesting people in media and government who were part of the RIAS program.

One of my favorite meetings in Berlin was the morning we got to watch the taping of “Morgenmagazin” at ZDF headquarters. We sat down for a long, satisfying time with Mr. Thomas Walde, the deputy head of ZDF. We discussed the nature of German News, including how it works, how they deal with various national issues and politics. Mr. Walde was extremely generous with his time and over the course of the almost two hours we spoke with him I learned a great deal about the differences between the U.S. and Germany. In particular, I learned that the average German citizen seems far more engaged in daily political discourse than Americans. He suggested that the reason for this was a more singular culture in Germany than exists in the United States, that most Germans care about the minutiae of German politics and are passionate about issues.   Mr. Walde worked for a long time in the United States and so his ability to articulate the differences between German and United States media was particularly effective and educational.

Another excellent presentation that I found very interesting and refreshingly frank was the conversation about German foreign policy with Mr. Peter Altmaier, the first parliamentary executive director of the Christian Democratic Union parliamentary group at German Bundestag. The issue of the day while we were in Berlin was Germany’s refusal to participate in the U.S./European effort in Libya (which has since proven successful). Mr. Almaier admitted this was a mistake, an amazing bit of candor for a politician.

The meetings we had were extremely informative and often fascinating, but one of the great things about the RIAS program is how much effort is taken to immerse the scholar in German life. It’s one thing to sit down in a conference room to discuss the issues of the day, but to spend time out in Berlin, watching arias by Puccini and Verdi at Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt or to sample white asparagus at one of the city’s finer restaurants. I loved spending time with the other RIAS scholars, having meals and drinking excellent German pilsner.

I would especially like to point out that the experience was enhanced significantly by the participation and leadership of Rainer Hasters. Rainer’s vibrant sense of humor, his impeccable organizational abilities and his deep knowledge of German history and current affairs made the program so fulfilling. At every stop he masterfully corralled all the RIAS scholars and was superb at answering questions and entertaining the group. I cannot speak more highly of Rainer, his participation helped make my experience in the RIAS program the highlight of 2011 for me. It is a program that I will highly recommend to my colleagues at the New York Times and will certainly never forget.

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Rosemary Pennington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Everything old is new again

The first time I touched down in Berlin it was the middle of December, ten years after reunification. The city I saw out my bus window was one undergoing massive reconstruction and renovation. Potsdamer Platz was still being filled with high-rises, the Brandenburg Gate was covered in a cloth and what’s now the Topography of Terror was full of trees. The bleached winter light made everything seem unreal; it was as though I had stepped out of real life and into a movie.

The second time I found myself in Berlin, on my first RIAS Fellowship, Potsdamer Platz was completed, the Brandenburg Gate was again open to the public and the American Embassy in Berlin was just a pit and an idea. The Berlin of 2005 was a city thriving, a city that was beginning to settle into its identity as the reunified Germany’s capital.

This time, my third, I found myself standing in places in Berlin that should be familiar and yet were not. I found myself disoriented in a way I had not expected. There were cafes where cafes had not been before. There were buildings where there had been vacant lots and vacant lots where once buildings had stood. A neighborhood I had gotten to know well in 2005 was completely new to me in 2011.

That, for me, was one of the takeaways of my second RIAS experience, this feeling of Germany being in a state of transition — its architecture, its cities, its policy and even its people. Not only are German spaces changing, German identity is also beginning to shift. It is not a shift that will happen quickly but many of the speakers we met with seemed to think in the near future identity in Germany will be more fluid. Hybridity will be embraced — some speakers suggested it must be if Germany hopes to remain the economic giant it has become.

All this change, of course, takes place against the backdrop of German history. During a tour of the Defense Ministry’s facility in Berlin, we saw the Bundeswehr memorial. A memorial to fallen servicemen that is both the property of the military and the public — a reminder that the German army is the people’s army, that soldiers are citizens in uniform, we were told. A contrast to what the German army has been in the past. The nation’s history, we heard in meeting after meeting, informs much of what the Germany of today does — on the domestic and foreign fronts. This, the past being so present, was not so different, this I had heard before. And I found myself wondering, again, how long Germany can continue with past and present so interwoven? How does this dance of past and present affect how Germans understand what it means to be German?

Of course RIAS gives Fellows the opportunity to ask these questions of Germans themselves. Those interactions, with politicians and journalists and other people living in Germany, are among the strengths of the program. It’s one thing to be lectured at about particular issues but the chance to actually have conversations with individuals about those issues is rare. Those conversations, over breakfast or beer, are among my favorite aspects of the Fellowship. The responses tend to be candid and off-the-cuff and, while they aren’t always on the record, they certainly give Fellows a more rounded understanding of what’s happening in Germany at the moment. But it’s not only the ability to talk to Germans about their lives that made the Fellowship a fulfilling experience for me, it was also the chance to chat with other Americans working in, or studying, the news industry.

We’re all aware of the stresses and pressures incumbent upon journalists working in broadcasting in the United States today. Facing deadlines and news holes and rushing to get a story first, journalists seldom have the time or luxury to sit down and simply talk to others in the industry. Whether it’s sitting in the middle of the Grand Place late in the evening, singing along to 80’s songs in a tourist bar or celebrating the summer solstice in a café along the Rhine the opportunities RIAS provides to Fellows to simply inhabit the same space as other journalists, the chance to blow off steam with other journalists, is invaluable; it both invigorates and grounds me and is one of my favorite parts of the RIAS experience.

Each experience I have with RIAS serves to reinforce, for me, the importance of such Fellowships for journalists. It opens up individuals to new ways of seeing and understanding the world and gives them new perspectives on debates and situations back in the United States. It also gives them the chance to hear how others working in the industry are coping with the changing American media environment. If I could return every six years I would. RIAS has a frequent Fellow card, right? 

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Jacqueline Pham, FOX News, Washington, D.C.

GREEK DEBT CRISIS

Since the debt and banking crises surfaced in Europe, the U.S. press has been reporting that the Greek debt case would test the Eurozone and the eventual doom of the currency. Such pessimistic outlook was the opposite of what the speakers at the European Commission had conveyed. Europeans believe in saving the euro. Just a month after the RIAS group returned to the U.S., Germany and France took the lead and forged a plan not only to rescue Greece for the second time but also to assist the entire region should other countries follow in Greece, Ireland and Portugal’s footsteps. Before this agreement each case was handled on an ad hoc basis, there were no pre-emptive measures to stem the crisis from spreading. One of the main aspects of the strategy entails a $600 billion fund called the European Financial Stability Facility that could intervene before a fiscal or banking problem reach epic proportion by lending money to troubled governments and banks and buying bonds in secondary market. The new deal lends Greece 109 euros requiring the country to restructure its private debt, undertake further austerity measures and sell additional national assets.

What the American media failed to emphasize is that Germany has much to gain from the euro, exports account for 80% of its economy, 42% of that from the eurozone. Allowing for the demise of the currency without efforts to save it would mean abandoning a united Europe and the largest economic bloc. The euro ties the 17 members economically, the zone includes three (Germany, France, Italy) out of the top ten biggest economies. With the sliding value of the U.S. dollar, the euro becomes an increasing reserve currency and its collapse will have a devastating contagion effect and undermine the global economic recovery.

GERMAN ECONOMY & IMMIGRATION

While the U.S. dollar and economy struggle, the German economy is performing well. It took a downturn during the 2008 global financial meltdown but recovered in 2010 with a vibrant growth rate of 3.6%, 2.7% estimated for 2011. Unemployment registers at 7.5%, the lowest in almost two decades. Exports climbed 14.2% last year. Germany is experiencing a self-sustaining boom. Several speakers during the RIAS June 2011 program credited Germany’s economic boom with Agenda 2010 that went into effect in 2003 under Chancellor Gerhard Schroder. The comprehensive program, among other things, cut taxes, relaxed labor laws, combined unemployment and welfare benefits, increased retirement age, lowered federal health care premiums. The overhaul aimed at getting Germany out of an economic slump after unification in 1989. These changes addressed some of the structural problems and spreaded the pain over seven years and now the Germans are reaping the benefits.

An export economy relies on an adequate work force and immigration has played an increasingly important role in generating population and labor force growth. During the early 1960’s Germany faced a shortage of manpower for its economy and instituted a guest worker program for laborers from Turkey. These guests workers were supposed to return to their home country after 2 years, however, employers complained that the cost of training new workers was too high and as a result some of these workers never went back. The children of these immigrants eventually reunited with them in Germany. This group is not highly educated, speak little German and have a difficult time integrating into the host country. They tend to socialize and stay in the Turkish neighborhoods, preserve their culture, maintain strong ties with their homeland and because they straddle between two cultures, they don’t have the urge to become German citizens.

Seventeen percent of Germany’s population has migration background, 2.5 million are Turks making it the largest minority group in the country and the largest in Western Europe. Germany faces a demographic challenge, its population is shrinking and aging, while Turks and other immigrants have high birth rates which provide a staple work force. The birth rate among Turks is 2.4 children per couple, 1.38 for German; that is well below the 2.1 replacement rate. An export economy relies on a lot of workers and for Germany to maintain an economic powerhouse it will need this immigrant labor force for the long haul. Furthermore, young workers are the ones who contribute to the social security system that will be tapped by pensioners.

The difference in culture, religion, language and general misunderstandings create tension between the two populations. Some Germans feel that these immigrants depend on the generous welfare system, slow to assimilate, the media tend to focus on negative aspects such as crime, head scarves, religious differences, unemployment. To make matter worse, anti-Muslim sentiment rose after the attacks of 11 September 2001.

But there are improvements. The later generations of Turks are born in Germany, bilingual, identify less with Turkish roots, work in the mainstream economy, and seek political representation. The fastest way to be recognized by the political class is taking on citizenship and the voting power that accompanies it. They would like to see institutional barriers removed: an education system that addresses multiculturalism in the classroom, access to employment and other opportunities. In recent years Germany recognizes itself as an immigration country and in time misunderstandings will dissipate making acceptance easier.

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Annette Raveneau, Univision KINC15 TV, Las Vegas, NV

As most fascinating experiences in my life… a great friend is the one that told me about the RIAS Fellowship. To be honest I had never really thought of Germany as a place I was dying to go to, or really knew much of its rich past. But the idea of going to learn about a new culture and country in that country was very enticing to me. So, I applied for the Fellowship thinking, if I get it and my boss actually lets me take the 3 weeks off it means this trip is meant to be. I was selected and my boss gave me the days off, perfect!

RIAS had given us a list of books and movies to watch before the trip, I bought “The Lives of Others” (movie) and read Father/Land by F. Kempe. I did not have time to read the other books I bought but the movie and the book opened an appetite of curiosity about Germany that my ignorance of the place could not do before. This made me more aware of the street names and the places that I had seen in the movie and imagined from the book.

I chose to do the two weeks plus the extra week in Berlin. I think it was the best choice, not only because Berlin is just an intoxicating city, but because you can indulge in it on your own pace and realize that you don’t need to be afraid to be alone in the streets of a German city as a non-white woman.

I arrived in Berlin just in time for the Karneval der Kulturen a.k.a. Carnival of Cultures. I’m sure Germany is great in October, but if I were to choose again, I would choose June for sure. The Carnival was amazing, you get to see all the other cultures that live among Germans and how Berliners really enjoy all the food and music of these countries. That was a great appetizer for what was to come.

The German RIAS crew was amazing; Rainer is a cocktail of great anecdotes, good advice and humor; something not really expected from a German. The schedule was pretty easy going but if you go to Germany to party first and listen to the presentations second, it will be tough, as jet-lag kicks in especially if you travel from the west coast of the U.S. 

The trip is a mixture of breakfast/lunch/dinner lectures, bus tours and plenty of walking. When the welcome kit tells you to wear comfortable shoes and pack light, they really mean it. As, you will walk like we don’t typically do in the U.S. with working shoes; and when it’s time to travel by train you will be hauling your luggage in cobblestone, not fun if your luggage is heavy.

The speakers that are invited to the meals are usually journalists with a wealth of knowledge, but you also can get a politician from the different parties. One thing is for sure, they know way more about the way Americans do things than we will ever know about how Germans do things, unless you actually live in Germany. These people are very knowledgeable and usually have very fascinating topics to talk about.

The second week is the traveling week. We got to go to Leipzig, Köln, and Brussels in Belgium. Besides Rainer, you really don’t need another tour guide, but one is provided every so often plus the speakers in the different gatherings. Every city we went to had its own charm about it. Leipzig for instance has so much history and importance in German history yet I knew nothing about it until I got there.

Belgium, the EU and NATO was a once in a lifetime experience. Especially in June 2011 when NATO was in the middle of the Libyan issue and the EU was dealing with Greece’s crisis and Germany, our host country is the deal maker or breaker of this EU economic crisis. It was like being in the middle of the battle but in a very safe bubble. Our last day in Belgium we got treated to go to Bruges for the day, I’m not sure if this will stay in the future schedules but if it’s not and you have to pay extra for it, I would in a heart beat!

This is when the second week ends and the third, for some of us, began. I liked my group but I’m used to traveling without too many people, so the third week was great for me. I had to depend on myself to get in the tube to reach my daily work assignments. Some of the people I interviewed would arrange to show me around the less touristic areas, which was like being in a different Berlin. I experienced some of the night life and day time activities that I had not had a chance on the first week. I even hung out in a protest against a neo-Nazi meeting where the protesters had drums similar to “Occupy Wall Street”.

The RIAS Berlin team was always making sure you were OK and all your appointments were on schedule, even on the 3rd week. So, you are alone but not completely. They are just a phone call away to assist with anything you need.

I cannot express how happy I am that I was chosen as one of the Fellows for the summer 2011 RIAS trip to Germany. This was a great experience for my professional and personal life.

If you do it, please don’t see it as a free vacation to Germany, see it as a grant that was awarded to you to learn about this fascinating country, its culture and its people.

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Kristopher Van Cleave, WJLA-TV, Arlington, VA

The RIAS program was a huge eye opener that exposed me to people, places and situations I would not have experienced on my own.  The entire program is simply fantastic, which makes it a challenge to pick the highlights of the trip to discuss here.

The opportunity to talk candidly with the Ministry of Defense about the issues facing the German military was really of interest to me. I’ve covered the U.S. military in every city I’ve worked in so I thoroughly enjoyed being able to learn more about a crucial American ally. It was surprising to hear how much the nation’s history plays into the current decision making process, especially in the case of Libya which was discussed from many different perspectives throughout the trip. We left Germany with a nuanced understanding of the reason why Germany opted to abstain during the U.N. vote and why they’ve decided to stay out of the conflict in Libya.

The other topic that I found intriguing was Germany’s immigration debate. The United States’ issues with illegal immigration are well known, but were surprisingly different than the ones discussed by the U.S. Ambassador and Ozcan Mutlu. In America if you come to the U.S. from another country you’re an immigrant but by the next generation you’re an American. That is not necessarily the case in Germany, as people are viewed as non-native Germans for generations even if they are born in Germany. 

Ambassador Murphy spoke of conversation with a waitress who referred to herself as an immigrant even though she’d been born in Germany because her grandparents had migrated from Turkey and were of non-German heritage. 

Mr. Mutlu spoke at length about the immigration issues as well over lunch — the idea of a dwindling population and a real discomfort with some of the immigrant groups coming into the country. 

From a journalistic standpoint, I really enjoyed getting to sit down with Thomas Walde from ZDF and Peter Kloeppel from RTL to hear about the differences in how the news is done. I admire the level of dedication to covering international news, as it’s just not done in the United States. The viewership numbers are remarkable compared to the declining and fracturing American news audience. Further, it was interesting to hear about the dedication to airing newsmagazine and talkshows on substantive issues over the tabloid and sensational fare we tend to see in the United States.

The other great element of the RIAS experience was simply getting to go to so many places and truly get a feel for a wide cross section of Germany. I walked away having learned a lot about life in Germany that I doubt one gets by simply playing tourist. Moreover, I’d never have ventured to some of the places we went. It was remarkable.

Finally, I’d be remiss in an essay about the noteworthy experiences of the RIAS program if I failed to discuss the new friendships I gained from going on this trip. The other Fellows were a huge part of making this experience so memorable.  There is something very invigorating about spending so much time with so many talented journalists, hearing about their experiences, their stories, and learning from the questions they ask. They provided countless laughs, memorable moments, and hopefully become long lasting friends.