As so-called ‘cord cutting’ and mobile technology trends drive the ways consumers connect with news and information, journalists are constantly adapting to the needs of their audiences. For more than two decades, an exchange program for American and German broadcasters has been building bridges of understanding — both personally and professionally. More than 1,200 American and German broadcasters have participated in this unique trans Atlantic exchange since 1994.

One developing relationship connects the KLTV newsroom with our European counterparts. An ongoing exchange with journalists connected to the RIAS Berlin Commission has proven to be a valuable experience for all involved. Last October, I was selected as RIAS fellow and spent a month in Germany learning about the changing landscape of journalism in that country. Since returning to Texas, I’ve now had the privilege of hosting a visiting German journalist for the second time in six months.

Our latest guest, Anna-Maria Schuck, a producer and reporter for German TV network ZDF, visited East Texas March 18-23, 2018. After spending a week in New York City and Washington, DC, Anna-Maria’s visit to the Pineywoods provided her a glimpse at local news coverage from the perspective of our award-winning journalists.

A whirlwind itinerary exposed her to the history and culture of East Texas, in addition to being embedded in a digital newsroom committed to covering local and state issues on multiple platforms. Schuck shadowed KLTV’s digital content team, which manages our websites, social media, and 7 mobile apps dedicated to news, weather, high school football, Spanish language news, and cooking. Each day, she worked in the newsroom and in the field with our reporters, producers, and news managers. A morning coffee meetup provided a casual meeting to discuss women in journalism in the 21st century. The Tyler Morning Telegraph also arranged a forum to learn about the current landscape of the newspaper industry in the U.S.

A regular stop along our tour of East Texas, the Texas Museum of Broadcasting and Communications in Kilgore is home to historic artifacts and electronic media, including cameras used during the coverage of the JFK assassination. Museum Director Chuck Conrad is a wealth of knowledge about radio and television broadcasting and is a great ambassador for East Texas.

Schuck’s week in East Texas also featured several picturesque destinations, like the Tyler Rose Center, the largest public rose garden in America. Kiepersol Estates, located near Bullard, provided a tour of their vineyard and winery, giving glimpse inside a sustainable operation.  It also coincided with the 59th annual Tyler Azalea trail, featuring miles after mile of blooming azaleas, dogwoods and other Spring flowers. No first visit to East Texas would be complete without sampling Stanley’s Famous Barbecue. Anna-Maria also sampled Whataburger and drank a Dr. Pepper for the first time.

Schuck was able to connect with viewers through KLTV’s ‘East Texas Now,’ a newscast streaming 18 hours each weekday on KLTV’s mobile app and on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Host Jeremy Butler led a question & answer session about the differences between American and German media.

This week of enlightening discourse helped forge friendships that will certainly span the continents.

The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of KLTV/KTRE-TV or Raycom Media. They are solely the opinion of the author. All content © Copyright 2018 Lane Luckie