News Releases

Broadcast Journalists Selected for Fellowship to Germany

CONTACT: Jon Ebinger, 202.467 5250 or jon@ rtndf.org

WASHINGTON -- The  Radio and Television News Directors Foundation is pleased to announce that 14 producers, reporters and educators have been selected to visit Germany in June as part of an ongoing fellowship with the RIAS Berlin Kommission. This marks the 15th year that RTNDF and RIAS have sent journalists between the United States and Germany for this program.

The German/American Journalist Exchange Program will run June 14 to 29, 2008. Sponsored by RIAS, the program will feature briefings with top-level German political, business and media figures in Berlin, Frankfurt and Leipzig, along with meetings at the EU and NATO in Brussels, Belgium. 

The following 14 individuals have been selected to participate in the program this June:

• Missy Belote, News Director, KSMU-FM, Springfield, MO

• Lori Bergen, Journalism School Director, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

• Meera Cheriyan, Producer, KTTV, Los Angeles

• Dale Cressman, Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

• Hena Cuevas, Freelance Producer/Reporter, Los Angeles

• Rachel Elsberry, Executive Producer, News 8 Austin, Austin, TX

• Mark Garrison, Freelance Producer, New York

• Wendy Gillette, Reporter/Producer, CBS News, New York

• Rachel Grygiel, Freelance Producer/Educator, Hoboken, NJ

• Don Heider, Associate Dean, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

• Frances Kuo, Reporter, WCNC-TV, Charlotte, NC

• Laure Quinlivan, Freelance Reporter/Producer, Cincinnati

• Sarah Saeger, Producer, WMSP-TV, Eden Prairie, MN

• Veronica Villafane, Freelance Reporter/Producer, Los Angeles

Since 1992 RTNDF has administered a media fellowship as part of its German/American Journalist Exchange Program with the RIAS Berlin Kommission. RTNDF is a 501(c)(3) educational institution that promotes excellence in electronic journalism through research, education and training for news professionals and journalism students. Affiliated with the Radio-Television News Directors Association, RTNDF's programs are supported entirely by charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, RTNDA members and other individuals.

The RIAS Berlin Kommission is a bi-national organization established in 1992 to promote understanding between the United States and Germany in the field of broadcasting. Each exchange program is fully financed by RIAS, a non-profit, non-governmental organization.

For further information on the Germany fellowships and the application process, visit RTNDA.org or contact Jon Ebinger, project manager, at 202.467.5250 or jon@rtndf.org.