Fidan Ekiz is very strongly criticized after bashing Frans Timmermans. Journalists think she should be more neutral as a presenter of Op1. “This really can’t be done.”
Frans Timmermans, who wants to become the new prime minister of the Netherlands on behalf of PvdA and GroenLinks, is being tackled in the media. In particular, the very fierce statements by Jeroen Pauw in Renze Klamer’s talk show hit like a bombshell, but Fidan Ekiz also caused a stir by calling the politician a vain narcissist on TV.
Unprofessional
It is according to investigative journalist Kim van Keken not done that the Op1 presenter on television has gone so wild on Timmermans. “For years, Rutte was praised at talk show tables. Op1 is the place where VVD members could walk empty without critical questions. But now the presenters are going wild on one candidate from the PvdA/GroenLinks”, she tweets.
Kim slaps Fidan on the wrist. “I really have nothing to do with Frans Timmermans, but the diarrhea of opinions from presenters suddenly is really weird and unprofessional. Why do presenters, all equally vain by the way, judge this way? Why can’t it ever get more substantive?”
‘This is not possible’
Journalist Ton F. van Dijk, also the former channel boss of NPO 1, thinks it is a slip by Fidan. “I am a fan of Fidan. But when you are the presenter of a journalistic talk show public broadcaster, how can you still objectively interview Timmermans (which every politician, but especially the viewer deserves) if you have called him a ‘vain narcissist’?”
Marc Belinfante of the editor of EenVandaag in The Hague: “We have to conclude that it is not a journalistic talk show.”
The Stentor journalist Phaedra Werkhoven: “To be honest, I think that the presenter of a talk show should not have a strong opinion about a politician who is not sitting at the table anyway. Why would that be relevant?”
‘This harms Op1’
Ton F. van Dijk points out that Fidan’s statements are also harmful to Op1, because he may now avoid that program. “As Timmermans, would you still like to sit down at the table with Pauw or Fidan?”
Nieuwsuur reporter Jan Eikelboom: “All those opinions indeed harm your journalistic work. (…) Timmermans went too far in that speech, without further ado, but speculating is not lying. Ekiz is Telegraaf right and Pauw’s uncharacteristic fierceness indicates a feud.”
Kim van Keken: “I’ve been wondering for quite some time how useful it is that presenters pop up everywhere as interpreters. There is, I hope, a big difference between presenter and opinion maker.”
Rob and Ebru
There are also people who step into the breach for Fidan, including Rob Goossens, the media connoisseur of RTL Boulevard. He tweets: “There are really a million reasons why Op1 sucks, but Fidan is not one of them and certainly not as far as Rutte is concerned. She questioned him critically and was critical of the slavish obedience of the mob.”
Opinion maker Ebru Umar finds it somewhat sexist to put Fidan away like that. “I don’t think this is fair. In fact, it’s true and I totally agree. But men are allowed to have an opinion. The most famous of these is Jort K. He lives from it and has been presenting for just as long.”