tapmag

Is the German response to the economic crisis slower because of German culture, New York Times correspondent in Berlin Nicholas Kuhlisch asked last week. His idea is that the German love for rules and Ordnung, embodied in the strict adherence to each and every sign in a German swimming pool („Nicht vom Beckenrand springen!“, „Nicht auf den Kacheln rennen!“, „Keine Schuhe im Barfussbereich!“), can also explain the transatlantic furor over economic stimulus packages.

German swimming pool: Too many rules?

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This isn’t a new episode of The Hills or Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten, but these days it seems professional journalists have all caught some of that exasperated, gawking and driveling tone usually confined to fashion (or rather, pre-teen) magazines. The object of this circus: Michelle Obama.

The First Ladies of Fashion - Screenshot from vanityfair.com

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Starting on April 15th, the team of tapmag will offer a student-run seminar at the John F. Kennedy Institute of the Free University of Berlin. The KVV files it under “Reporting America – How to Write, Edit, Research, and Publish as a Transatlantic Journalist“.

In a collaborative fashion, we want to explore the multi-faceted world of transatlantic journalism, get comfortable writing, and become familiar with the latest Web 2.0-tools. We will invite exciting guests who will help us in our quest. Last but not least, CNN Germany has agreed to cooperate with the seminar. We will publish our results on ireport.com, and CNN will award the best entry.

Here’s the syllabus:

1. Introduction
2. Q&A with Michael Dobbs (Washington Post) on transatlantic Journalism and his career
3. How to set up a blog and make it beautiful
4. Journalism 101
5. CNN, ireport.com & Social Media for Journalists, Guests: Dr. Amelie Heinrichsdorff (Director PR & Corporate Affairs CNN), Joerg Buddenberg (Marketing Manager CNN Germany)
6. Writing for the Enemy, Workshop Session: Exercise in writing from different political viewpoints (e.g. Huffington Post, Foxnation, etc.)
7. Writing for the Net, Guest: Joerg Wolf (Atlantic Review, Atlantic Community)
8. No session
9. Transatlantic Journalim Erklaert, Guest: Scot Stevenson (USAerklaert.wordpress.com)
10. Presentation articles for the CNN ireport contest
11. The other Voice, Guest: Al-Jazzera reporter Dalila Nadi
12. Q&A with Jerry Gerber (Press Secretary Democrats Abroad)
13. Tba
14. Final of the CNN contest, Guest: CNN correspondent Frederik Pleitgen (requested)
15. Sum-Up & BBQ

This seminar is open to the public, you don’t have to be a student of the Free University to attend. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the JFK-Institute!

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Maybe it’s been a while ago that you fell in love, or maybe it was just yesterday. But childhood loves bear a special significance to many of us. They shaped who we are looking for in the opposite sex, what we want to be “when we grow up”, or which food we like.

First Loves in Polaroids on ourfirstloves.com

The site ourfirstloves.com has collected many such stories, from falling in love with spaghetti to memories of first pets. They’re funny, heart-warming, and sure to make you laugh. There’s also someone who shares my first love. His name is Frank and he is 80 years old, but I think I have to visit him someday because he has what I want: an own library.

By Jessica Binsch

Maybe I’m just spoiled by Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Saturday Night Live or even South Park. Maybe it’s just too much to ask that we’ll ever get anything like this piece of brilliance. But after seeing the latest attempt at political “satire” (yes, those are scare quotes!) on German TV, I can’t help but feel incredibly frustrated.

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So many newspapers, magazines, TV shows, blogs, and other news sources comment on transatlantic issues every day. If you want to keep track, Atlantic Review might be the press digest of choice. The site picks the best, highlights the worst and corrects the plainly wrong of the many transatlantic news stories.

It is highly recommended reading for everyone trying to keep up with transatlantic culture, global politics, and European and American perceptions of the significant other. Edited by a three men team, including an alumnus of the Free University of Berlin, Atlantic Review has drawn a sizeable audience, as evidenced by the lively discussion surrounding each post in the comments.

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Die schrecklichen Ereignisse von Winnenden wurden inzwischen medial verarbeitet und hundertfach durchgekaut. Was dabei heraus kam, war definitiv keine Sternstunde der deutschen Medienlandschaft. Auseinandersetzungen mit der Berichterstattung über den Amoklauf findet ihr unter anderem hier bei Spreeblick und hier bei Stefan Niggemeier (via Medienelite).

Die Tagesschau rühmt sich derweil, das Video mit den letzten Minuten des Täters nicht gezeigt zu haben – wohl aber ein verstörtes junges Mädchen – während das ZDF erklärt, das “Fälschen im Internet kinderleicht” sei (Video). Na sowas. Fast alle Medien haben inzwischen Fotos des Täters, Bilder seines Elternhauses, nennen teilweise die Adresse eben jenen Hauses, und Bild schießt wie immer den Vogel ab und druckt am Tag nach dem Amoklauf Bilder angeblicher Opfer (!!).

Viele Politiker ergehen sich ganz betroffen in Verbotsideen – Sportwaffen verbieten, Ballerspiele verbieten, Einlasskontrolle an Schulen. Einige dieser Ideen mögen sinnvoll sein, doch die tieferen Ursachen einer solchen Tat berühren sie nicht. Wie es mit 17 war, daran können sich viele scheinbar nicht mehr erinnern.

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Welcome to the fourth installment of our mini-series on transatlantic blogs. Today with the first blog we introduce that is written in the U.S.: Dialog International by David Vickrey. He covers a vast scope of transatlantic topics—from literature and culture, over history, to politics and economics. His analysis is always on point and he continues to surprise with his in-depth knowledge of German affairs.

His first entry from July 2004 pretty much sums up his motivation: “This blog serves to support dialogue about culture and politics, with a special emphasis on repairing German-American relations.”

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Yes, you’ve got to be careful what to post on social networks. But this current case takes it up a notch.

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