The German Marshall Fund, in cooperation with the European Commission, convened the third annual Transatlantic Journalists Forum (TJF) in Brussels, Belgium, July 11–13. This year the Forum received additional support from the U.S. Mission to the EU in Brussels. The two-day gathering provided a diverse group of American and European journalists an opportunity to get to know each other and exchange views.  Much like the two previous Forums, this one enabled journalists to compare notes on press coverage of transatlantic relations and to meet with high-level policymakers and experts from Washington and Brussels. 

This year’s Forum focused primarily on homeland security and the differences in public perceptions and media coverage of the issue on the two sides of the Atlantic.  The presentations and discussions showcased these differences, but they also highlighted how the United States and Europe can work together on addressing the global terrorist threat and bolstering security at home and abroad.

Participants were drawn from major news sources across the United States and Europe, and included journalists from the Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dallas Morning News, and CNN on the U.S. side, and their counterparts from Der Spiegel (Germany), Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), L’Express (France), Domino Forum (Slovakia), Reuters Brussels, and anchors from Bulgarian and Romanian national TV. During panels and keynote events, they engaged in dialogue with EU commissioners Antonio Vitorino and Loyola de Palacio; Rafael Bardaji, a close associate of former Spanish President Aznar; and Frank Cilluffo, a former special assistant for homeland security to President Bush.  The next Transatlantic Journalists Forum is scheduled to take place in Spring 2005 in Washington, DC.