New program provides a personal view of Europe

Countries, people, fates: With Focus on Europe , Deutsche Welle (DW) has rebranded European Journal to create a program with a new look and a new host.

Starting this month, DW will be broadcasting a new program in English, German and Spanish that will offer a more personal approach to events shaping Europe. Focus on Europe will be produced in DW’s headquarters in Bonn and broadcast weekly on DW’s channels worldwide.

“We will be looking at what moves people in Europe – in politics and in society,” says Ingo Mannteufel, Head of the Department for Europe at DW. “We will bring our global audience closer to the conflicts in Europe. With in-depth stories, we will be showing them the opinions, hopes and fears of the people on our continent.”

Focus on Europe will continue to be a leading provider of weekly, in-depth coverage of events in Europe but with a new, more personal perspective. Like its predecessor European Journal, this series is targeted at everyone who wants to stay connected to Europe. Specials will also put more focus on specific events or countries. It presents stories about the people whose lives are being shaped by today's events – from a British financial businessman to a Turkish women’s rights activist. Reporters will file their stories from all over the continent and special editions will be focused on specific countries and events. It will provide audiences with up-close, visually powerful, and balanced profiles and reporting.

The new host for the English edition of Focus on Europe is Damien McGuinness, who also works as a BBC foreign correspondent covering Germany and the Baltic States. Valeria Risi will be hosting the German version with Risi and Maricel Drazer rotating for the Spanish version.