RIAS BERLIN KOMMISSION

27/04/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 RIAS Media Award winners!

This year we received over 80 entries focused on reporting on transatlantic relationships between Germany and the United States. For over 20 years RIAS has honored outstanding journalistic work on all topics relating to the USA and Germany in the categories television, radio, podcast or digital.

The awardees are the following:

TV Award
Hannah Congdon, Evan Williams, Vanessa Schlesier, and Dan Edge
The Rise of Germany’s New Right

Watch here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/the-rise-of-germanys-new-right/

Radio Award
Eberhard Schade
Deutschlandfunk Kultur
Germans in Texas – Bach, Beer, Business as Usual?

Listen here: https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/deutsche-in-texas-bach-bier-business-as-usual-100.html

Digital Award
Klaus Uhrig, Christian Schiffer, Jasmin Körber, and Fritz Espenlaub.
Deutschlandfunk
The Peter Thiel Story

Listen here: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/die-peter-thiel-story-100.html

Fellow Award
Ariel Plotnick and Emma Talkoff
The Washington Post
Should Germany ban its far-right party?

Listen here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/should-germany-ban-its-farright-party/

RIAS Grand Prize
Igor Plischke, Christopher Zwickler, Anika Mellin, and Hannes Beßler
ARD/MDR
The Talented Mr. F

Watch here: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/der-talentierte-mr-f/der-talentierte-mr-f/mdr/Y3JpZDovL21kci5kZS9zZW5kdW5nLzI4MjA0MC81MzMxMzYtNTA3ODU5

Join us on May 7 in Berlin to honor our awardees! If you would like to RSVP please email [email protected]

Read more about the winning pieces here: https://riasberlin.org/winners-of-the-2026-rias-media-awards/

On May 7, 2026, the RIAS Berlin Commission will present the RIAS Media Awards at Berlin’s City Hall Rotes Rathaus to journalists from Germany and the United

09/04/2026

Our spring program was an invigorating experience full of learning, in-depth discussions and many follow up questions. The dynamic cohort of 12 German journalists spent two weeks traversing the U.S. learning about the current state of affairs, the future of German American relations and key midterm races that could decide the fate of Congress this fall. They met think tank leaders, visited newsrooms such as NPR, Telemundo, the New York Times, Spectrum News, DW, learned about the fundamentals of the first amendment law, exchanged with their American counterparts about their day-to-day work and their duty to provide accurate information to audiences through different platforms.

Read about their experiences here: https://riasberlin.org/testimonials-of-twelve-german-journalists-about-their-two-week-rias-fellowship-in-the-usa/

05/03/2026

Meet the cohort of German journalists taking part in the RIAS March program. These 12 journalists work in public and private media and will be in the United States March 8 to March 20. They’re slated to meet with politicians, journalists, think tank leaders, as well as policymakers. The group will travel to Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Chicago, San Antonio, Seattle, Atlanta, Phoenix, D.C and Tallahassee for their station days.

We are excited to welcome them and continue fostering translating relationships!

Vanessa Materla, RBB, Berlin
Boris Georgievski, Deutsche Welle, Bonn
Mia von Hirsch, HR, Frankfurt am Main
Felix Schlagwein, MDR, Leipzig
Anna Wulffert, MDR, Leipzig
Christian Röther, Deutschlandfunk, Cologne
Angela van Brakel, Seven One, Munich
Leander Löwe, ARD, Hamburg
Anne-Lou Beckmann, ARD/NDR, Hamburg
Julian Gräfe, SWR/ARD, Stuttgart
Karen Münster, ARD/NDR, Hamburg
Jafaar Abdul Karim, Deutsche Welle, Berlin

30/01/2026

Congratulations to RIAS alumni Jamie Coughlin Silverman and Gabriel Silverman for the German premiere of their feature documentary The Spies Among Us!

The documentary explores the inner workings of a data-driven surveillance state, the Stasi in former East Germany. It follows Peter Keup, a Stasi victim-turned-historian and regular speaker for the RIAS program in Germany. Peter contacts the men who ran the system. The documentary records on camera the first dialogues between Stasi officers and one of their victims.

The event welcomed 450 spectators and included a screening of their documentary followed by a panel discussion moderated by RIAS alum Anja Heyde. The panel included directors Jamie Coughlin Silverman and Gabriel Silverman, film subject and former Stasi victim turned historian Peter Keup and former Stasi officer Jochen Girke.

Sign up for updates at thespiesamongus.film for the latest premiere information!

07/01/2026

🎙 Did you produce a story about transatlantic issues in German or in U.S. media in 2025? Then enter our 2026 RIAS Media Awards! We honor outstanding journalistic work on all topics relating to the USA and Germany in the categories television, radio, podcast or digital.

🎤 Media Award Details:

*Submissions can be radio, television and digital stories about Germany that appeared in U.S. media and stories about the United States that
appeared in German media

*Open to all journalists working for German or American media outlets

*Awards include prize money with a total of 10,000 EUR

*Winners are invited to Berlin for the awards ceremony on May 7, 2026

📝 Submit entries to [email protected] by January 15, 2026

🔗 For applications and more information, visit: https://riasberlin.org/awards/

19/12/2025

📣 Less than one month left to submit your entries for the 2026 RIAS Media Awards!

🎙 If you produced a story about Germany in U.S. media or the United States in German media enter our 2026 RIAS Media Awards! The awards honor outstanding journalistic work on transatlantic topics published in 2025.

🎤 Media Awards Details:

▪️Submissions can be radio, television and digital stories about Germany that appeared in U.S. media and stories about the United States that appeared in German media

▪️Awards include prize money with a total of 10,000 EUR

▪️Winners are invited to Berlin for the awards ceremony on May 7, 2026

📝 Submissions are due January 15, 2026

🔗 For more details visit:
https://riasberlin.org/awards/

11/11/2025

Looking to broaden your understanding of German-American relations, transatlantic relationships and join our growing alumni of over 1800 journalists in Germany and the U.S. Apply for the RIAS Berlin Commission 2026 programs!

June Program Dates:
June 14-June 27, 2026

September Program Dates:
September 6-19, 2026

🎤Program Highlights:
✔️Open to full time and freelance radio, TV and online journalists
✔️Must have at least 5 consecutive years as a working journalist
✔️No need to speak German
✔️Program covers round-trip airfare, travels costs within Germany and Belgium, along with hotel accommodation and some meals

📝 Application Package includes-
1️⃣Completed Application Form
2️⃣Resume
3️⃣One Letter of Recommendation
4️⃣One Essay

Applications are due by Sunday November 30, 2025

For more details visit: https://riasberlin.org/apply-for-programs/

28/10/2025

We continue showcasing our gratitude for our RIAS alumni and their commitment to transatlantic relationships. Our alumni network of over 1800 spreads across the Atlantic and into many corners of the United States. Their dedication to building friendships and fostering connections among journalists is a fundamental part of our organization. Our alumni embody firsthand our mission and we thank them for their time! Today we head west to Texas, Chicago and Seattle.

We begin in the Lone Star State, where RIAS alum Yami Virgin hosted RIAS fellows Julia Lautzschmann and Elisabeth Kagermeier in San Antonio. A longtime host, Yami’s busy itinerary for Julia and Elisabeth included visits to Fox San Antonio and WOAI newsrooms. The journalists visited Camp Mystic with Yami, where they witnessed firsthand the resilience this region of the state has endured after the devastating floods this past summer. Julia and Elisabeth traveled to Austin where they visited the state capitol and had the opportunity to sit in on hearings.

Next, we head north up Interstate 35 where Gönna Ketels and Nadine Lindner spent their station days in Dallas. RIAS alums Jason Whitely and Dan Godwin, led tours of their respective newsrooms WFAA and Fox 4. Additionally, they organized insightful discussions on green energy with a conservative rancher and a meeting with a congresswoman affected by the recent redistricting in Texas. Gönna and Nadine's visit included a trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards and the exhilarating State Fair of Texas. The group finished off a busy few days with a Dallas Mavs game, accompanied by RIAS alums Marlissa Collier and Dionne Anglin.

Further north, Bo Hyun Kim and Jessica Körner were welcomed to the Windy City by RIAS alums Ryan Burrow and Erik Runge. Bo and Jessica visited WGN Radio and WGN TV where they shadowed Ryan and Erik in their day-to-day work. They had the opportunity to attend a protest outside an immigration detention center, speaking to activists and immigration advocates about the immigration climate. Their schedule included going to an American high school football, visiting Obama’s Chicago home and a trip to Wrigley Field home to the Chicago Cubs

Finishing off on the west coast, Constanze Kainz was welcomed to Seattle! She shadowed RIAS alums Matt Martin and Andy Hurst at NPR affiliate KUOW. During her visit she learned about KUOW’s podcast efforts, including the production of their daily newscast Seattle Now. RIAS alums Kristin Fraser and Art Land introduced her to aspects of Seattle life, including cheering on the University of Washington Huskies against Rutgers!

23/10/2025

A cornerstone of RIAS is the network of our alumni and their dedication to building transatlantic relationships. Today we extend a thoughtful thank you to our alumni and RIAS friends who hosted our October fellows in their respective newsrooms. Our fellows were fortunate to spend a few days shadowing their American peers, learning about their day-to-day lives, including challenges and issues they face, in addition to experiencing American life in various corners of the country!

In New York City, RIAS fellow Daniel Koop shadowed RIAS alum Lisa Rozner at WCBS, accompanying her in her daily reporting, started bright and early to shadow RIAS alum, RIAS board member and morning anchor Michael Gargiulo at WNBC and received a behind the scenes tour from RIAS alum Linus Dentel of ABC World News Tonight.

Working our way down the east coast, RIAS fellow Mark Diening saw the sports team at WSOC in action, covering the Carolina Panthers. News Director Mike Oliveira organized a thorough schedule including prepping for Carolina Panther’s game with DaShawn Brown and shadowing political reporter Joe Bruno. Mark not only learned from the WSOC team but witnessed the Carolina Panthers deliver a home win against the Dallas Cowboys, final score 30-27.

In the Peach State, the RIAS Atlanta chapter welcomed RIAS fellow Burak Kahraman. RIAS alum Fenly Foxen led the effort, organizing discussions with CNN, RIAS alum Faith Jessie at 11 Alive, the Atlanta Journal Constitution and WABE journalists. The busy itinerary included a visit to the Coca Cola museum, a tour of Atlanta’s beltline led by Katherine Bennett and a tour of Emory, CDC and historic Druid Hills organized by alum Marilyn Geewax, who shared some background on the city’s economic history. Thank you to alums Priscilla Peyrot, Gustavo Valdes, Abigail Watts, Chuck Colin, Susan Huang for joining Katherine and Fenly in welcoming Burak to ATL!

Further south, RIAS alum Constance Jones welcomed RIAS fellow Carsten Upadek to Miami! Carsten experienced Miami’s dynamic media scene with visits to NBC 6 and Telemundo, learning about the fundamental work the Spanish network does nationally. His busy schedule included visits to Wynwood, South Beach and discussions with immigration advocates.

15/10/2025

Join us in congratulating our October fellows! These 12 German journalists kickstarted their two-week program in New York City, Philadelphia and recently returned from their station days across the country. This week they’re in DC where they will discuss critical issues such as the first amendment, intimidation of the media, the government shutdown, and the future of German-American relations.

Constanze Kainz, ZEIT ONLINE, Berlin
Daniel Koop, WELT, Frankfurt am Main/Berlin
Sara Sievert, Table Media, Berlin
Elisabeth Kagermeier, BR/ARD, Munich
Carsten Upadek, WDR, Cologne
Bo Hyun Kim, HR/WDR/DLF Frankfurt am Main
Jessica Körner, RTL, Cologne
Burak Kahraman, RTL, Cologne
Gönna Ketels, Deutsche Welle, Berlin
Julia Lautzschmann, phoenix, Bonn
Mark Diening, ARD, Berlin
Nadine Lindner, Deutschlandradio, Berlin

13/10/2025