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ZDF Names Shakuntala Banerjee and Alica Jung to Succeed Antje Pieper on 'auslandsjournal'

The move pairs two seasoned reporters to maintain the magazine’s foreign-coverage focus.

Overview

  • Banerjee debuts on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, with Jung’s first broadcast set for Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
  • Antje Pieper exits after more than a decade as presenter to lead ZDF’s foreign bureau in Rome.
  • Shakuntala Banerjee heads ZDF’s politics and contemporary affairs desk, has moderated election and ZDF spezial programs, and filled in on the show multiple times in 2025.
  • Alica Jung is known from ZDFheute live, has reported from Ukraine and Israel, and previously served in the Rome studio and as a cross-media correspondent in Washington.
  • Editor-in-chief Bettina Schausten said the new presenters reflect the program’s knowledgeable and empathetic approach to world events.