Dutch MPS are concerned whether Radio Netherlands Worldwide will be reduced to a cabinet mouthpiece once it falls under the control of the foreign ministry after the upcoming reorganisation.
The cabinet says parliament is seeing ghosts and has nothing to worry about. In the current setup, RNW operates under the Dutch media laws which specifically ban the government from exercising any kind of editorial control.
However, the new organisation – reduced in size by about 70 percent as the result of budget cuts - will no longer fall under the media law once it’s completed its move from the culture ministry to the foreign ministry at the end of 2012. The new RNW will have only one mission: providing independent information in regions where there’s no free speech.
Free Speech
In a parliamentary debate, MPs from various parties asked the government for guarantees that the foreign ministry would not impose editorial control. Culture Minister Marja van Bijsterveldt, at present still responsible for RNW, emphatically stated that the organisation’s journalistic independence was not at risk.
In a parliamentary debate, MPs from various parties asked the government for guarantees that the foreign ministry would not impose editorial control. Culture Minister Marja van Bijsterveldt, at present still responsible for RNW, emphatically stated that the organisation’s journalistic independence was not at risk.
The minister told MPs that the foreign ministry already subsidises a number of organisations such as Free Press Unlimited without attempting to impose editorial control on any of them, so there was no reason to expect the foreign ministry to treat RNW any differently.
Budget Day
The Christian democratic CDA pointed out that the Council of State, the nation’s highest administrative court and highest government advisory body, was concerned about RNW’s journalistic independence "whereas the Council has not expressed similar concerns about other organisations subsidised by the foreign ministry.”
The Christian democratic CDA pointed out that the Council of State, the nation’s highest administrative court and highest government advisory body, was concerned about RNW’s journalistic independence "whereas the Council has not expressed similar concerns about other organisations subsidised by the foreign ministry.”
The CDA wants Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal to inform them before Budget Day (3rd Tuesday in September) on exactly how he plans to safeguard RNW’s journalistic independence.
Confident
"Journalistic independence is crucial to RNW fulfilling its mission,” said RNW’s Editor-in-Chief Rik Rensen in a reaction. “We are fully confident that our independence will also be guaranteed when we fall under the foreign ministry next year.”
"Journalistic independence is crucial to RNW fulfilling its mission,” said RNW’s Editor-in-Chief Rik Rensen in a reaction. “We are fully confident that our independence will also be guaranteed when we fall under the foreign ministry next year.”
The parliamentary debate also covered RNW’s broadcasts to the Dutch Caribbean. The broadcasts to Surinam and the former Netherlands Antilles are scheduled to end at the end of 2012. It is not clear what – if anything – will take their place. Minister Van Bijsterveldt promised she would submit her plans to parliament before 15 June.
(Source : Radio Netherlands Worldwide)
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