Valentijn Driessen hits back at Claudia de Breij. The Telegraaf journalist finds it laughable that she suggests that the circulation of De Telegraaf is declining because of Wierd Duk. “Wishful thinking!”
BnnVara star Claudia de Breij recently delved into the circulation figures of Dutch newspapers on a free afternoon and came to the conclusion that those of De Telegraaf are falling much faster than those of ‘quality newspapers’ such as De Volkskrant. According to her, this is partly because of the pieces by columnists Wierd Duk and Ronald Plasterk.
Critical Claudia
Claudia thinks that De Telegraaf no longer has a good sense of what is going on among the public. “Could it be possible that the continuous undermining of readers’ trust in institutions also affects trust in the newspaper?”
“Or could it be that there are not nearly as many citizens angry as Duk and Plasterk think?” she wonders, insinuating that both gentlemen are too far removed from the target group.
‘Get off your ass!’
Johan Derksen points this out in Today Inside. “I read that Claudia de Breij says that De Telegraaf is in decline, but that is very logical, because all printed newspapers are in decline, because it is all digital reading these days and you are still the second.”
“But according to her, that was because of Plasterk and Wierd Duk, that if they wrote in it, that is why the newspaper declines. Then I think: dude, what are you getting involved in? You are talking nonsense!”
Wishful thinking
Telegraaf journalist Valentijn Driessen agrees. “That mainly, yes. It’s just wishful thinking. It’s not her color, so she thinks: those circulations are decreasing, and those circulations are also decreasing, but if you are the largest, you will of course decrease faster than if you are the smallest.”
Johan: “Yes, but you’re still the biggest, aren’t you?”
René van der Gijp: “It also makes sense, doesn’t it, Johan, because if Paris-Saint Germain is extended, you won’t read anything about it in the newspaper the next day. That’s quite strange.”
In the stands
Johan agrees. “No, then you have to go digital. I have always sat in the stands with those newspaper boys and they had to have their story during the match.”
Valentijn: “You’d rather do that than have nothing at all in the newspaper. That deadline is 9:30 p.m., so that is of course dramatic.”
‘Cyber man’ Dave Maasland: “Valentine’s Day, something has to be done about that. I once tried to take out a Telegraaf subscription digitally and you just have to have studied for that. That is incredible. The ordinary person will not be able to do that. It is incredible. It is almost impossible.”
Tangle
What’s so difficult about it? “You end up in a mess of emails and buttons. Just make it simple! That’s just a shame,” says Dave.
Johan: “Yes, that’s right. I have both of them digitally and I also think that the AD is more clear digitally. They have a really good digital newspaper. De Telegraaf is lagging behind a bit, but I think your printed newspaper is better.”
‘Real bullshit’
Also nonsense, according to Valentijn. “That’s really nonsense, man. That’s also nonsense. That’s just taste! You also like to read Wierd Duk and Plasterk, don’t you?”
Johan concludes: “Yes, I read Wierd Duk first and Plasterk second, so I agree, but I read your newspaper and I think you are the best, but I find the digital version of the AD more clear.”
