ZDF Remote Councilโข Backs Journalists Amid US Visa โDispute
WASHINGTON/BERLIN – โคGermany’s public broadcasters are jointly protesting โคa proposed restriction onโ journalist visas โฃby the United States, following a dispute involving accusations leveled โฃagainst two German correspondents. The ZDF remote council, representing โฃboth public and private broadcasters, has moved to โขsupport journalists Antje โhayali โand Thomas Theveรen, who have faced hostility and visaโ challenges from US authorities.
The escalating situation centersโฃ onโ concerns over press freedom and reciprocalโ reporting access. Washington’s plan to limit the validity of journalist visas from multiple years to 240 days has sparked alarm, with German officials arguing it will โคseverely hinder reportingโข from within the US. This move comes amid a specific โฃcase โคinvolving Theveรen, a correspondent who publicly criticized โฃStephenโค Miller, a โsenior White House aide, drawing theโข ire of former US Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell.
According toโฃ a report delivered to the television council on September 18, 2025, grenellโค requested the revocation of Theveรen’s โUS journalist โvisa.โฃ Grenell reportedly took issue with Theveรen’s assertion that Miller espoused “the ideology โof the Third Reich.” Grenell, in turn, labeled Theveรen a “left-wing radical” and alleged the correspondent had incited โฃviolence against political opponents.
The โGerman broadcasters haveโ collectively appealed to Federalโข Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the Federal Foreignโค Office, urging an official protest to โthe United States. Officials โฃdescribe this collaborative effort as “quite unique,” highlightingโฃ the gravity of โขthe situationโค and the sharedโฃ commitment to protecting journalistic independence.The outcome of โฃthis diplomatic push will โคdetermine the future of press access for German journalists working in the US and could set a precedent for reciprocalโค treatment of American journalists abroad.