A selection of stories from Scotland, Europe and beyond
Reports marked “video journalism” are researched, shot and edited by me
In 2020 50 Albanians arrived on the shores of Britain in small boats, but last year that number had increased sharply to over 12,000. Altogether almost 16,000 Albanians applied for assylum in the UK last year. Most of them are from the Northern Highlands where the average monthly income is ยฃ240. Many have lost the hope that things will get better, often citing corruption as one of the reasons why Albania is held back. Eรฒrpa speak to one young man who has tried four times to get to Britain and another who made it, but was returned. His asylum application was refused and he admitted working in the UK illegally while waiting on a decision. Andreas Wolff also hears how victims of trafficking are sometimes forced to do illegal activities in the UK.
The government are saying they have almost eliminated corruption, that unemployment is falling and the number of people in work is rising. But given the number of people who have emigrated there is now a shortage of workers. There are however glimmers of hope as well such as a basketball academy and an agro-turism business. In one area of Albania the UK are also funding a scheme which teaches new skills to young people and corrects the perception that people can become rich quickly in Britain. (The Nine, BBC Scotland; Watch the full documentary on the iplayer: Eรฒrpa, BBC ALBA, 09/03/23)
Pope Benedict XVI will be remembered by many as the first Pope to resign in 600 years. Although seen as a traditionalist this was a rather radical step.
My report from the Vatican on โThe Nineโ on the BBC Scotland channel โas liveโ from a smartphone (5/1/23).
Btw: The slogan on the back of my phone reads: I speak Frisian (slightly exaggerated, Iโm learning the Northern Frisian dialect of Fering!) and the line underneath says: Whatโs your special power?).
Voraussichtlich im Oktober 2023 will Schottland ein neues Unabhรคngigkeitsreferendum durchfรผhren. Schottische Nationalisten versprechen Wohlstand und eine faire Gesellschaft. Mein Interview im Deutschlandfunk. (28. Juni 2022, 09:11 Uhr)
The Swedish island of Gotland has been called an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Baltic Sea. 300km from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and opposite the Baltic countries it has an important strategic place. This week four Russian planes violated Gotlandโs airspace. Sweden doesnโt belong to NATO, but has a cooperation agreement. The country has stepped up its defence spending by 40% in the last five years. An Lร on BBC ALBA, 3/3/22ย in Gaelic
My analysis of the election of the German Bundestag live from Berlin on โGood Morning Scotlandโ on 27/9/21ย in English
Live from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on โAn Lร โ on BBC ALBA, 27/9/21,ย in Gaelic
Prinz Andrew, der 61-jรคhrige Sohn der Queen wird vor einem Zivilgericht von Virginia Giuffre wegen sexuellen Miรbrauchs auf Entschรคdigung verklagt (10/8/21) in German
Some hospitality businesses in rural areas of Scotland like Oban are having to shut for one or two days a week because they can’t get enough staff. They blame Brexit in the first instance as there are fewer European workers available. BBC Reporting Scotland (15/7/21)
The language and way of life of the Sakha people of Siberia is under threat. One of the challenges is climate change which also threatens their identity (“An Lร ” on BBC ALBA, 18/11/20) in Gaelic
Illegal mining destroys Canaima World Heritage Site in Venezuela and threatens indigenous Pemon people (“An Lร ” on BBC ALBA, 31/8/20) in Gaelic
Portugal’s liberal drugs policy – Report on UK’s only European Current Affairs programme: Eรฒrpa (as broadcast on BBC ALBA in November 2018) in Gaelic
Indigenous tribes of Colombia fighting for their ancestral lands in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta endangered by mining. An Lร News on BBC ALBA (20/07/20). Lockdown broadcasting: Created from Zoom interviews and User Generated Contentย in Gaelic
Harter Brexit, Covid 19 und schottische Unabhรคngigkeit. Mein Interview fรผr “Europa Heute” im Deutschlandfunk (16.6.20)ย in German
Whisky enthusiasts from around the world donate to Islay Volunteer Network. They bring food and medicine to those self-isolating on the Hebridean island. Now distilleries have donated spirits to make hand-sanitiser. (2/4/20)ย in English
A new kind of video journalism due to Coronavirus: This report was made in the home office from my own archive shots, user generated content and interviews on the computer.
After the UK general election that gave the Conservatives a sweeping majority in England and an overwhelming majority to the SNP in Scotland the electoral map is blue south of and yellow north of the River Tweed. But is that the full story? (19/12/19) in English
Nach der “Brexitwahl:” Stehen schottische Unabhรคngigkeit und irische Wiedervereinigung vor der Tรผr? (13.12.19) in German
Die Schlagzeilen meines Beitrages zu einer Diskussionsrunde im Deutschlandfunk
Co-presenting “An Lร ,” the news on BBC ALBA at the opening of the Royal National Mรฒd, a week-long festival of Gaelic song, music and literature (11/10/19) in Gaelic
Hundreds of migrants are still sleeping rough in Paris despite a plea by President Macron to end rough sleeping last year. The short version of a report on the UK’s only European Current Affairs programme, Eรฒrpa, on BBC ALBA (22/11/18) in Gaelic
The effects of Brexit are already being felt in 2018 by one of Scotland’s sea food companies, Loch Fyne Oysters, which sells to many parts of Europe
in English,ย video journalism
Also see my 5-part series of news features on Brexit, Scottish Independence, the BBC’s impartiality and the international context for BBC ALBA here
Live coverage of the German general elections which returned seven parties to the Bundestag – more than ever before – including the AfD, a far-right party (25/9/17) “An Lร ” on BBC ALBA, in Gaelic
Interview im Hessischen Rundfunk รผber Brexit und Schottische Unabhรคngigkeit (17.3.17), in German
Live interview after UK Prime Minister, Theresa May’s speech on her vision for Brexit (17/1/17), in English
Reporting the biggest Kayak Race in the UK including a piece-to-camera from a boat shot on an iPhone using a selfie stick (29/8/16) “An Lร ” on BBC ALBA
in Gaelic and English, video journalism
Live interview รผber Schottland und Brexit im Deutschlandfunk (27.6.16), in German
Schottische Unabhรคngigkeit ist denkbar
Live interview about the upcoming EU referendum in the UK on DW TV (20/6/16), in English
Live Interview รผber das Brexit Referendum fรผr Deutsche Welle (20.6.16), in German
Live interview from a count of the Scottish Parliament Election, BBC 1 (6/5/16)ย in English
Live interview looking ahead at the Brexit referendum on whether the UK should remain in or leave the EU for DW TV (5/5/16),ย in English
Investigation on care providers and anonymous allegations that some aren’t paying their staff the minimum wage,ย Reporting Scotland news, BBC1 (26/2/16)
video journalism,ย in English
A British citizen (Overseas) may be forced to leave Britain because her husband’s earnings are considered insufficient. But who will look after their boy, if she has to go back to Hong Kong and he runs a business? Reporting Scotland, BBC1 (1/2/16)
video journalism, in English
Reporting live on the aftermath of the Paris attacks from the Place de la Republique for BBC Radio Scotland
For my full account please click here.
Report on West Coast ferry strike for BBC 1 “Scotland 2015” (25/6/15)
video journalism, in English
Reporting live on the UK General Election result that brought a landslide victory to the Scottish National Party, BBC 1 Scotland (7/5/15) in English
A fatal plane crash near Loch Etive, Argyll, BBC News Channel (5/4/15)
video journalism, in English
Reporting live on the Scottish Independence Referendum, BBC 1 Scotland (19/9/14), in English
Preview of the Euro 2016 qualifying match Scotland-Germany in Dortmund. Could its outcome influence the independence referendum? An Lร , BBC ALBA news (7/9/14) video journalism, in Gaelic
Reporting from Rome on the canonisation of the two Popes for BBC 1, Reporting Scotland (April 2014) in English
The late Jimmy Savile’s holiday cottage has been vandalised after allegations of sexual abuse, Reporting Scotland BBC 1 (28/10/12)ย (Most watched piece on BBC News on-line that day)ย
video journalism, in English
On the state of the Gaelic language in Argyll, BBC Radio 4 Editor’s Pick of the Day (10/2/12)ย in English
Radio package for BBC Radio 4 on Argyll Gaelic. It became the editor’s pick of the day.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9694000/9694965.stm
25 years since the Berlin Wall fell
It happenedย almost by mistake on 9th November 1989. The anniversary celebrations 25 years later at the Brandenburg Gate included a row of white balloons where the wall once stood. Pictures of them flying off into the sky went around the world.
In 2014ย 9th November was a Sunday and I went to Mass at St Hedwig Cathedral only a kilometre away. For the first time ever I heard the tune of the German national anthem played at Mass. It drove the tears to my eyes as I remembered the overwhelming joy everyone felt 25 years ago.
The Stasi never sang along
The peaceful revolution, as it is called, had its origins in the churches. I recently visited Gethsemane Church in East Berlin where thousands gathered in October 1989 just to get some information on the situation. The police never entered the churches although the infamous Stasi secret service did. A man who was there at the time told me they could tell who they were as they never sang along. Some people were beaten or arrested as they left though.
The outcome was indeed unknown and at one point there was an order to make use of firearms. But the general situation in Eastern Europe had changed. Hungary was the first country to open its border with Austria and tens of thousands of East Germans went through. The Soviet Union had also changed under Mikhail Gorbatshev. No help was to be expected to continue the oppression.
The Wall fell by accident
A new head of state came to power, which in itself was very unusual. Living in West Berlin I still didnโt even consider that the wall could fall. It had been there since before I was born. But on 9th November 1989 at a press conference a government minister read out a statement saying that travelling to the West would now be possible if people had the appropriate papers. He was asked when this would come into force and stumbled that this came into effect immediately.
At that point tens of thousands left for the border. The guards didnโt have any orders and phoned their superiors, but got no answer. At last they decided to open the gates. Not a single shot was fired.
Would they let me out again?
The opening of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin a few days before Christmas 25 years ago was another symbolic moment. In early November the iron curtain had fallen politically, but it was yet to be taken down physically. I was there on the day, when a crane lifted several pieces of concrete out of the wall to open a border crossing. There were huge crowds on either side. When they poured through the border guards could only step aside. I remember feeling slightly uneasy going through without a stamp in my passport. Would they let me out again?
The emotion was overwhelming though. I still have tears in my eyes thinking back. The wall which had cut my home town in two was finally tumbling. Only a few steps on the other side and a young East German lady came up to me and gave me kiss on the cheek. Such was the joy on both sides. I strolled up โUnter den Linden,โ East Berlinโs main avenue, together with a friend of mine. In front of Humboldt University a group of French communists were trying to convert us to their cause. They couldnโt have picked a worse day.
When Germany commemorated the anniversary of the fall of the communist/ socialist regime in November 2014ย I was back at the Gate. Michail Gorbatshev, the Soviet leader who started the political change in the East, was there, too, and warned of a new cold war.
Andreas G. Wolff, MA (International Journalism) 