Political reporter Merel Ek (28) from Hart van Nederland has been named ‘Hoogevener of the Year 2022’. This happened during the New Year’s reception of the municipality of Hoogeveen. According to the jury, she received the prize because she stands her ground among all the political violence in and around the House of Representatives. She has also brought Hoogeveen in the news several times in a positive way.
For Ek, who grew up in Hoogeveen, it was a complete surprise. She was taken by her family for a tour of the De Tamboer theater building. That turned out to be a trick to get her to Hoogeveen. When she heard some sounds from the audience in the wings next to the stage, it slowly dawned that something was not right.
“I heard someone say something about a political reporter. At first I thought that a colleague of mine might be sitting in the theater,” laughs Ek. “But then my name was called, I was quite surprised, yes. My family has taken a good look at me, but it is of course a great honor.”
The reporter moved to Hoogeveen when she was 4 years old. “The basis for her curiosity has been laid here,” says jury member Dina van Lange. “She also does great at the table at the program Today Inside. Johan Derksen sometimes teases her with a joke about Hoogeveen, but she always knows how to parry it well. She really stands her ground.”
The jury also believes that she is able to elicit bold statements from people during interviews. The condition to compete for the title is that someone has positively brought Hoogeveen to the attention. The person must also live there or have lived there.
Ek was in the national news earlier this year, because Member of Parliament Gideon van Meijeren of the Forum for Democracy (FvD) entered her office with a camera running. He accused her of ‘sewer journalism’.
The MP of FvD posted a video on social media with the accompanying text: “Activists who practice sewage journalism can no longer get away with their lies, disinformation and fake news. Time for the counterattack.”
She initially did not start the conversation when she saw the rotating camera. She did speak to Van Meijeren later, after he had reassured her that the camera was gone. That was not true: the camera was still running and recording the conversation.
The journalist previously questioned Van Meijeren about the words Johan Derksen had used about Forum leader Baudet. Derksen said in Today Inside that ‘they have to liquidate that guy’. Later, he said, it was a slip of the tongue.
Ek pointed out that according to the dictionary liquidating the Dikke van Dale would also mean sending away. But that turns out not to be the case.