The 2009 study abroad group visited Die Welt in Berlin. Professor Frauke Hachtmann is at the far right in the back row.
By TAWNY BURMOOD, NICOLE MANSKE and JACLYN TAN
J Alumni News staff
After two weeks in Germany, some students came back to Nebraska last summer re-thinking their career goals.
Others simply came back with a new perspective on the world.
And that’s what associate professor Frauke Hachtmann hoped for. She has taken journalism and advertising students to Germany for the past four summers in a study abroad program that includes visits to a variety of advertisers and media outlets.
Students spent May 13 to June 1 in Berlin and Munich learning about German mass media and culture. They met with professionals from German newspapers, advertising agencies, broadcasting stations and other media outlets.
Hachtmann, a German native, started the program in 2006 because she realized how important it is for students to develop a global perspective.
“Since the U.S. is the largest economy in the world, many of our students have never even thought about leaving the country,” Hachtmann said. “This scenario is no longer valid. We cannot succeed in a vacuum and have to understand how different countries are connected to the U.S. We must understand cultural differences in order to make sense of what’s going on in the world.”
Senior advertising major Brett Tesmer went on the trip because he wanted to broaden his worldview.
“What enticed me was an opportunity to connect with a different culture and see how they do their advertising,” he said. “Also, I thought the chance to travel abroad was pretty appealing.”
New frontier in advertising: The Volkswagen Autostadt
Students learned about advertising through a German lens. At the Volkswagen Autostadt, advertising takes on a whole different face.
“Our job is to take the group, open it up and connect with you,” said Nicholas Batten, international media contact for the Autostadt.
The Autostadt (car city) showcases Volkswagen brands in a theme park setting. Each year, about 2 million visitors pass through the sprawling landscaped grounds to visit interactive showrooms featuring brands owned by the Volkswagen Group, including Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini.
But no logos grace the main entrance.
“Because the concept of brainwashing is long past,” Batten said, referring to companies’ placing their logos prominently so that customers develop a mental association of the brand with the logo.
The theme park also functions as a distribution center. Batten said last year, about 30 percent of the visitors to Autostadt were there to pick up their new, customized Volkswagen cars from one of the two distribution towers.
New car owners get to watch a mechanical platform pick out each car from the tower and lower it to them.
Batten said the Autostadt also tries to make the brand appealing to customers regardless of culture.
“We don’t place our culture or religion before yours, so we don’t offer just one culture or religion at the park,” he said.
Print journalism in Germany: Die Welt
In Berlin, students saw the differences in newspaper consumption first-hand at Die Welt, Germany’s third largest newspaper. The newspaper is operated by Axel-Springer AG, one of the largest publishing companies in Europe.
Unlike Americans, many of whom get their news from TV or the Web, most Germans turn to newspapers as their main source of news. “Many people, even the youth, read newspapers,” said managing editor Marcus Heithecker.
Die Welt, which means “the world,” is an international daily newspaper. As such, most of the newsroom staff is bilingual. Heithecker said about 80 to 90 percent of the newsroom staff speaks English in addition to German.
Hachtmann said learning more languages is something American students should consider.
“The U.S. no longer operates only in the U.S.,” she said, “and American students are automatically disadvantaged when they start their jobs because they don’t tend to speak languages other than English. Learning a language is an important component of understanding a different culture.”
The broadcast scene: Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg and ZDF
Students also explored the differences between German and American broadcast industries.
Students visit the public broadcast station Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg
At the public broadcast station Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, students found out that license fees fund public stations in Germany.
“Everyone who owns a radio or TV has to pay licensing fees per month,” said Mark Stuntz, head of visitor service at RBB. For example, anyone who owns a TV, radio or computer would have to pay 18 euros a month.
German public stations are region specific and emphasize news. RBB covers the Berlin and Brandenburg area news.
Public stations also focus on producing quality content. For example, RBB has a concert hall fit for recording classical music performances for the radio or TV. Another public station, ZDF, produces programs on news, politics and foreign affairs.
In this sense, the success of public television in Germany isn’t based on ratings but rather on the quality of content. The license fees help public stations focus on producing informative programming without worrying too much about ratings to generate revenue.
“We want to produce quality content even if it means losing a couple of viewers,” said a host at “Morgenmagazin” (Morning Magazine), which is produced by ZDF.
Students get a taste of history for context
No trip would be complete without a little historical perspective. On the New Berlin bike tour, students visited the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie and a nuclear bunker.Ber
Students visited the Berlin Wall
“The history was my favorite part,” said Lauren Piller, senior advertising major. “The U.S. is so young compared to Germany. Seeing where it all developed is incredible to me.”
Justin Dahlke, a senior broadcast production major, agreed. “I learned more historical stuff than I had ever learned in any history class.”
All of these historical influences helped shape German society today, Hachtmann said. Students saw this when looking at how differently the media are structured compared to the United States.
In the 1930s and ’40s, German media outlets were controlled by Nazis who abused the media for propaganda purposes. And German news outlets were censored in former East Germany during the Cold War division of the country, Hachtmann said.
“It took a while for East Germans to trust the media as a valid source of information after reunification,” Hachtmann said. “In my opinion, it’s impossible to study German media without cultural context.”
Students also had the opportunity to see German castles. A class favorite was Frederick the Great’s Sanssouci Castle.
“It the most unique because it was so ahead of its time — the kitchen, all the rooms, the detailing,” Piller said.
Getting advice from media professionals
The students left Germany with far more than memories: They left with advice from top-notch media professionals.
“They all seemed to have the same message,” Dahlke said. “Do what you love; don’t change that. I wholeheartedly agree. I want to get up and do something I want to do and not hate it. I don’t want work to feel like work.”
Frank Riedel, managing director of McCann Erickson-Munich, left the students with another message: “Just ask questions; always be questioning, always be into what you’re doing.”
Rosemary Vestal, sophomore broadcasting-news editorial major, said that advice fits for journalism majors. “That’s our job — to ask the hard question and find out what’s going on.”
Future plans
Hachtmann said the trip would have served its purpose if it broadened her students’ worldviews.
“I hope that students will learn to see things from a different perspective,” she said. “I also hope that they will learn to approach new things with an open mind.”
Tesmer said the trip made him rethink his career plans.
“The trip definitely changed my career goals because I feel like touring or visiting more places to understand their culture,” he said. “And I feel like I want to master a second language before jumping into the game.”
For others, the trip provided valuable insight. Vestal said it didn’t change her plans, but added to them.
“It made me want to explore more in my field,” she said. “I always contemplated reporting overseas for CNN. I definitely would want to report in other countries.”
Added Dahlke: “I’m more open to working in more diverse locations. Originally I planned to just stay in the U.S. Now I am considering potentially moving away if the opportunity came up.”
Read more about students’ experiences on their blog at http://jmcstudyabroad09.blogspot.com.
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