MEDIA SELF-REGULATION
IN THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands Press Council
Daphne Koene
secretary
SMF Project Serbia
Amsterdam 11 November 2014
Why self-regulation?
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freedom of expression and information
fundamental human right
cornerstone of democracy
‘public watchdog’
media accountability
state-regulation vs self-regulation
History NPC
• 1948
Raad van Tucht
» disciplinary council
» practice of union members
• 1960
Raad voor de Journalistiek
» council of opinion
» practice of all journalists
Establishment & financing
Foundation - Stichting Raad voor de Journalistiek
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Netherlands Union of Journalists
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Netherlands Society of Chief-editors
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Co-ordinating organizations of printed press and
multimedia news companies
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Co-ordinating organizations of public broadcasting
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Commercial broadcasting
Mission
Article 3 of Statutes:
Examination of complaints against
violations of good journalistic practice
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complainant directly involved
journalistic practice
specific editorial content (all media)
‘watchdog without teeth’?
moral redress
Composition Press Council
• Chairman
high profile journalist
• Vice-chairmen
judiciary
• Journalist-members
reporters/editors
editors-in-chief
• Non journalist-members
experts
public members
Considering complaints in chambers
Procedure
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complaint in writing / online
no charge
legal representation permitted
public hearing
consideration behind closed doors
decision within 8 weeks
Recent developments - 1
March 2013:
• Chairman is high profile journalist (no longer a
lawyer), with important representing role.
November 2013:
• Transformation into a ‘secondary body’:
 obligation to file complain to journalist/editor-in-chief first;
 accelerated procedure and mediation abolished.
Recent developments - 2
November 2013
• Council withholds opinion in complaints addressed
to media/journalists who basicly do not co-operate,
unless case is of a higher/general importance.
• Reducing ‘judicial’ appearance by simplifying
decisions.
Late-2014
• Guidelines will be revised in consultation with the
journalistic field.
Alliance of Independent
Press Councils of Europe
• Annual meeting
• 2015 in Vienna
• info: Alexander Warzilek (alexander.warzilek@presserat.at)
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Exchange of views and information
Remarkable differences
No ‘one-fits-all’ model
www.aipce.net
Thank you for the attention!
d.koene@rvdj.nl
www.rvdj.nl
raad@rvdj.nl
@RVDJ_NL