Today started off extremely early. We ventured off to ZDF which is Germany’s public television network. We had the amazing opportunity to sit in on their morning talk show. First thing that I noticed was how relaxed the environment was. The anchor walked out in jeans and tennis shoes. The audience sat in their seats calm and collected. The anchors were so close to the audience, it really gave it that personalized feeling. This media visit was definitely my favorite one thus far.
After the morning show was over, we sat down with one of the anchors, Wulf Schmiese. He was brilliant. I found it amazing that he took the time out of his day to talk to us about ZDF and his own personal life. His story was extremely interesting. He began his career as a journalist and eventually became an anchor for the morning show. His perspective about journalism was flawless. He described journalists as know-it-alls. He stated, “You take one shower and then you are an expert on water.” I found this very accurate and amusing.
We had a little bit of free time after ZDF. We explored a chocolate store that left me speechless. They had small replicas of famous monuments made out of chocolate throughout the store. After our visit to the chocolate store, we had lunch at a German restaurant. Our waiter and the food was amazing.
Before we knew it we were on our way to our second media visit of the day: Deutsche Presse-Agentur. DPA focused mostly on print journalism. The set up of the office is what struck me most about this headquarter. All of the computers and work stations were set up in one large, open area. It was sectored off into different areas. One corner was for sports editors, one was for business editors, one was for political editors, and so on. It was a brilliant idea. It seemed as if this set up worked out tremendously for DPA. After our tour we spoke with the chief photographer Michael Kappeler. He was such an intelligent man and had a lot to say about photography. I throughly enjoyed speaking to him.
After our media visit we went to Reichstag. Here we were able to experience breathtaking views of Berlin. It is amazing how large and beautiful this city is. I am sad that tomorrow is our last full day here. However, I am very excited and ready to see everything Munich has to offer.
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