Our Journey
When CGTN Europe launched in October 2019 we had no idea what the year would bring.
In news you expect surprises, but even the most experienced journalists couldn't have predicted what our inaugural 12 months would involve.
As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, good journalism became even more important. Our audience relied on us for information on the crisis.
The pandemic may have been the biggest, but it wasn't the only story this past year. From the experience of refugees in Europe to the rewilding projects on the Danube, via the birth of giant panda twins in Berlin, CGTN Europe has covered it all.
Daniel Harries
Launch
Refugee special
CGTN Europe launched with coverage of the continent's often fraught relationship with refugees and migrants.
Four years after the refugee/migrant crisis of 2015, thousands of people still make their way to Europe every year - some finding salvation and economic prospects, while others face detention and deportation.
"These people come for a safer future and life"
CGTN's journalists covered both the perilous journey that refugees took to reach Europe's shores and what they faced once there - the good and the bad.
From refugees settled in a French castle, to the ongoing struggles on the Greek island Lesbos, with its severely overcrowded camps, Europe's relationship with refugees was then and is still one of the most pressing issues facing the continent.
Extinction Rebellion
Beginning in the summer of 2019, climate activist group Extinction Rebellion, continued its UK-wide protests throughout the fall.
Inspired by Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg, the group shut down several sites across London and elsewhere in the UK, with high-profile protests aimed at raising awareness and prompting action over climate change.
"The only thing we want to see is real action and real action has not been happening"
The success of its creative and sometimes controversial actions has led to similar groups springing up across the Europe and the U.S.
While the coronavirus pandemic - and the social restrictions required to combat it - has taken the wind out of the climate activists' protests, the group is expected to continue its campaigning into 2021.
Carlo Morucchio / RobertHarding/VCG
Carlo Morucchio / RobertHarding/VCG
Venice floods
In November 2019, Venice experienced its highest floods since 1966.
Thousands of volunteers helped with the clean-up effort, clearing away debris amid the murky waters and near-freezing temperatures.
"The result of climate change"
In preparation for 2020's flood season, the government has been building barriers - called the 'MOSE Project' - at the entrance to the Venice lagoon. The work has been ongoing since 2003 but has been hit by delays and a major corruption scandal.
The flood season of 2020/21 will be crucial for Venice, as the barriers' success or failure will dictate the city's future.
The saffron farmers of Mount Olympus
Just two months after our launch, Nawied Jabarkhyl traveled to Krokos, Greece, in the foothills of the legendary Mount Olympus.
There he spoke to saffron farmers who were excited about the prospect of exporting their wares to China.
"The Chinese recognize Greek saffron has immense health benefits"
Now the cooperative has just celebrated its first shipment delivered to China, although the demand for the saffron has, like so many products, suffered during the COVID-19 outbreak.
/CFP
/CFP
Bacteria: tiny, deadly, essential
Bacteria is all around - and even inside - you. It can kill but also cure, clean and even create energy. In January 2020, our digital team put together a series on the microorganism.
We examined the development of using bacteria in a treatment for incurable brain cancer, we looked at the history of the human/bacteria relationship and the growing problem of bacteria developing a resistance to antibiotics.or the saffron has, like so many products, suffered during the COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID-19 begins
People's Vision/CFP
People's Vision/CFP
Brexit 'gets done'
At the end of January, the UK formally left the European Union - giving up its membership of 47 years.
Its departure from the bloc closed a three-and-a-half years bitter political battle, which led to divisions within the UK and acrimony with Brussels.
"For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come"
London and Brussels entered into trade negotiations in March, which are ongoing. Despite progress being made, the two sides still have not agreed a deal. The UK will leave the bloc's trading arrangements - deal or no deal - at the end of 2021.
Should the two powers fail to reach an agreement, the UK will trade with its nearest neighbors on WTO rules, an unprecedented situation.
The UK is now striving to thrash out trade deals with the rest of the world, an enterprise that has thrown up myriad challenges.
Panda twins born in Berlin
One of the many stories that captured the public's imagination at the launch of CGTN was the first public appearance of Berlin Zoo's two star attractions - giant panda twins Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan.
They have already passed the milestone of their first birthday and CGTN's Mark Webster has been to see how they are getting on.
People's Vision/CFP
People's Vision/CFP
Europe in lockdown
In February and March, much of Europe went into a form of lockdown in order to stop the then rampant COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are at war"
European leaders solemnly addressed their people, implementing social restrictions, closing borders and vowing financial support.
Not since World War II had the continent faced such a common threat.
Europeans again face an uncertain future as many restrictions are being reinstated as cases begin to rise again.
The new normal
Pandemic Playbook
As the pandemic made its way across Europe, new practices were being developed by healthcare professionals to battle the virus.
From therapeutics to influencing social behaviors, the world has learnt, and keeps learning, what the best measures are to fight COVID-19.
"[Healthcare workers] must be tested for the virus and have the PPE they need so that they can carry on their duties without fear for their own safety and that of their families"
While research into the virus is continuing rapidly, the development of vaccines and treatments across the world has progressed at an unprecedented pace.
Spain struggles in lockdown
In May, CGTN Europe spoke to the Soleto family about their struggles during the pandemic.
At the time, a minimum-income plan was being drawn up by the Spanish government to tackle poverty and end the "hunger queues" that had become a frequent sight during the coronavirus lockdown.
"I have no resources right now, I am looking for help everywhere, for people to help me. If I don't get that support, I don't know how I'm going to make it to the end of the month, it's almost impossible"
A year later, Spain has currently the highest youth unemployment rate in EU, made worse as COVID-19 cases spiked throughout August and September.
In response, the minimum income scheme was set up in July offering monthly payments of up to $1,145 to its citizens to spend however they choose. The government estimates that the scheme will cost at least $3 billion per year.
Fashion Week
Environmental and representative concerns are changing the make-up of fashion weeks in Milan, New York and Paris.
Fashion brands and designers are striving to keep with a market which increasingly values diversity and sustainability. Over our inaugural year, CGTN Europe has reported and investigated an industry in flux.
/CFP
/CFP
A world in flux
The new normal
The COVID-19 pandemic signaled significant, unforeseen, changes to everyday life. In a series of articles and videos, CGTN Europe examined how education, aviation, sport and tourism might be changed.
"Going from face-to-face teaching in small groups, Cambridge University's most prized attribute, to Zoom classes has been an odd change"
By interviewing three stakeholders on each subject - students, teachers and parents for education - CGTN Europe's digital team detailed how the respective sectors have adapted to overcome the challenges of the pandemic.
Supplier/VCG
Supplier/VCG
People's Vision/CFP
People's Vision/CFP
Polish presidential election
In July, the Polish presidential election was one of the few votes to take place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The result has probably never been so close in Polish history"
The election was delayed from May 10 but was postponed due to a legal battle triggered after the ruling party pressed to hold it despite the pandemic.
Andrzej Duda, who was backed by the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party, won 51.21 percent of the vote, while opposition candidate, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, got 48.79 percent.
Revisiting the Danube
Ahead of our launch, CGTN Europe traveled to the Danube river to investigate how it is being affected by changes in the world around it.
From microscopic plastic particles to giant dams and sturgeon, the demands of a growing consumer economy all along the river's length have changed both its content and its route. Our reporters found a series of initiatives under way to assess the damage caused and how to remedy it.
More than a year later we went back and found the pandemic has delayed or even stopped some rewilding projects in countries that had very strict lockdowns.
Although even without human intervention, progress has continued to be made in the Danube Delta, where the animals reintroduced to the region last year - the Kulan horses and the buffaloes - are now opening the way for more biodiversity in the ecosystem.
imageBROKER/Kurt Kracher / Image Broker/VCG
imageBROKER/Kurt Kracher / Image Broker/VCG
/CFP
/CFP
COVID-19 and the city
From the temporary breakdown of global supply chains to the hollowing out of once bustling city streets, COVID-19 has caused a seismic change in the way we navigate our urban environments.
Now, with the coronavirus set to reshape the urban landscape for years to come, CGTN Europe took a deep dive into the powerful potential of disease to mold our metropolises – past, present, and future – in a four-part series about the impact of COVID-19 on cities.
