The long-awaited report on the abuses at De Wereld Draait Door and the NPO has been published and is causing a shock wave in Hilversum. “How could Marc-Marie Huijbregts downplay this?”
It causes a shock wave in Hilversum: the publication of it big report about abuses at DWDD and the NPO. It doesn’t lie and, according to Angela de Jong, it is ‘even worse than we thought’. It turns out that there were all sorts of dirty guys walking around at DWDD who saw the editorial floor as a kind of sexual playing field.
Sexual battlefield
At DWDD it was considered normal for male managers – whether Matthijs van Nieuwkerk is also included is not known – to sleep with female colleagues in subordinate positions. “Women were no longer welcome in the newsroom after breaking off a sexual relationship with a higher-ranking person,” the report states.
Employees have also been asked to ‘facilitate the appearance and sexual preferences of managers’. “Partly because of these types of experiences, according to them, there was the impression in the workplace that appearance and sexual availability played a role in making decisions about appointments or contract extensions for women.”
Grabbed by the throat
The report also mentions physical intimidation at the NPO, but it is not clear whether this occurred at DWDD. “Examples mentioned are: colleagues who have been grabbed by the throat, colleagues who have been pulled over the table, colleagues who have been pushed against the wall and are standing nose to nose with colleagues.”
And what else? “Colleagues who have been physically pushed to the ground, colleagues who have been spat in the face, and colleagues who have had their arms grabbed.”
Marc-Marie
It is unbelievable that the abuses at DWDD that are now stated in black and white in a report have all been downplayed by someone like Marc-Marie Huijbregts, says a former editor in de Volkskrant. The comedian has always stood up for Matthijs and said that everything was not too bad.
The DWDD editor: “Then I thought: boy, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Because you were never there. Yes, you were there on Friday evening, ten minutes beforehand. But you never really saw what went on behind the scenes.”
Özcan and Jan
The names of Jan Slagter and Özcan Akyol are also mentioned by the editor. They also feel they have downplayed the situation at DWDD. “Many colleagues still suffer from this. They just snapped. When I hear Jan Slagter talking about it, as if Matthíjs is the one who has been destroyed, I find that unbelievable.”
“As a broadcaster, you can surely have a little bit of feeling for the people to whom this has happened? Especially in such a position, with all the people working under you.”