The statement by presenter Natasja Gibbs in talk show Op1 that there is an ‘apartheid regime’ in Israel was not verifiably substantiated or was only referred to as an opinion. That is the opinion of the Ombudsman of the NPO Margo Smit in a ruling that she published on Monday.
The Ombudsman investigated the ruling after receiving hundreds of complaints about it. Gibbs made the statement in early January in a conversation with now former leader of the ChristenUnie Gert-Jan Segers. “In journalistic programmes, especially those of member broadcasters with a mission and signature, it is permitted to highlight one side of an issue on the basis of factual information,” said the Ombudsman. Segers was also given enough space for a rebuttal.
The Ombudsman does not pass judgment on the judgment itself. ‘An unequivocal assessment of the factuality of that claim is a long way off, although the public sent the Ombudsman information to substantiate whether it is crystal clear or convincingly not,’ writes Smit in her report. “This is about the journalistic process. A presenter may state one, provided it is verifiably substantiated or indicated as an opinion. Neither happened here.’
The Ombudsman does not judge whether Gibbs’ statement is racist or anti-Semitic. She notes that nothing is said about this in the Journalism Code of the NPO. Earlier, after a report on the broadcasts of Ongehoord Nederland, the Ombudsman and the National Coordinator against Discrimination and Racism argued for including this in the code.
The broadcasters have promised to make changes to the code this spring. It is not clear whether this specifically concerns adjustments about possible racist or anti-Semitic statements in programs.
In a response, BNNVARA says it is ‘disappointed’ with the Ombudsman’s opinion, but promises to ‘read carefully and take seriously’ the Ombudsman’s advice.
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