BNNVARA responds to the alleged ‘monstrous’ behavior that figurehead Matthijs van Nieuwkerk would have displayed for years behind the scenes of De Wereld Draait Door.
Matthijs van Nieuwkerk was quite thrown in front of the bus by De Telegraaf. The newspaper has allowed TV employee Kim (not her real name) to speak, who talks about the ‘fear culture’ that reigned for years on ‘a popular TV program at the NPO’. The presenter on duty is said to have exhibited ‘monstrous’ behavior.
What does BNNVARA say?
Because there is an equally ‘monstrous’ female editor-in-chief, everyone knows who the newspaper is referring to: Matthijs and his former editor-in-chief and later chief editor Dieuwke Wynia. His name is mentioned by both Yvonne Coldeweijer and Shownieuws. The show section even saw a reason to question BNNVARA about it.
BNNVARA says in a response: “The working climate within our editorial teams has been a constant point of attention for us for some time. The BOOS broadcast was another confirmation of this for us. We endorse the value of a good conversation about this, as advocated by the Council for Culture in its report.”
No denial
Show news expert Victor Vlam points out that BNNVARA does not deny that it is about Matthijs. “Of course, that’s not an affirmation or a denial of that. They’re really just saying they don’t want to say much about it.”
Matthijs himself has not made himself heard either. He keeps his lips pursed.
“Just a bastard!”
The experts at Shownieuws think that Matthijs’s alleged misconduct is now classified as transgressive behaviour. “Then you’re just an asshole if you do that, but as far as I’m concerned it has nothing to do with transgressive behavior,” says Bram Moszkowicz.
Bart Ettekoven: “But it does cross a border.”
Bram: “Yes, but something different from what we’ve been talking about constantly lately. Then you’re just an asshole if you do that.”
Tooske disagree
Tooske Ragas disagrees with the gentlemen. She believes that this is indeed an abuse of power. Or, as Els explained in the newspaper: “When there are many freelancers working somewhere, which I was, it’s easy to create an atmosphere in which people don’t dare to talk. For you ten others, you feel that in everything. And if you just say something, you’re out of this world.”
So it is good if a misbehaving TV presenter is tapped on his fingers, Tooske thinks. “If such a presenter never hears: ‘John, could you perhaps communicate that in a different way?’, he will not learn it either. It doesn’t mean that he can’t perform fantastically if he was a little less bashful after the broadcast.”