Welmoed Sijtsma, presenter of Op1, is criticized for cutting off table guest Huub Stapel. Frits Barend thinks it is a missed opportunity. “It was the start of a sharp dispute.”
Huub Stapel provided exciting television on Friday evening by confronting fellow table guest Cora van Nieuwenhuizen at the Op1 talk show table. The actor spoke to her about the fact that she stepped down as minister last year to take a lucrative job in the energy lobby. She wasn’t exactly happy about that.
Frits Barend critical
Presenter Welmoed Sijtsma cut off the confrontation by protecting Cora. “We have now invited Mrs Van Nieuwenhuizen for something different.”
A pity, thinks Frits Barend. He has presented the daily talk show Barend & Van Dorp for years and believes that Welmoed fails at such a moment. “Strong opening by Huub Stapel at Op1 about Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, a great start to a sharp dispute, but unfortunately, the script says we have to move on! Blablablabla,” he tweeted.
Journalist Ton F. van Dijk then: “What Frits says. And he should know.”
Outside the script
Media journalist Mark Koster finds it extremely unfortunate that Welmoed puts such a brutal end to such an interesting dialogue. “TV journalism in modern times. Don’t make it too difficult, stroke a little, tease a little, but if someone bites outside the script, that’s not the intention.”
Rob Edens, journalist at The Hague Central, agrees. “Yes I thought so too. This is what it should be about. And an embarrassment that it was not the presenters who brought up the issue, but fellow guest Huub Stapel.”
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The TV showdown in question:
