Mark Koster is criticized for his collaboration with juice queen Yvonne Coldeweijer. Science journalist Govert Schilling calls it a ‘bad development’ on NPO Radio 1.
The much-discussed Yvonne Coldeweijer now also has her own podcast. She was asked to do this by her co-host Mark Koster, who works as a journalist for renowned media and has also written a controversial book about John de Mol. He is now facing fierce criticism for his partnership with the juice queen.
Special combination
Roos Abelman discusses this collaboration in the media forum of her program on NPO Radio 1. “It is a special combination, because Koster, you could say, is a traditional journalist – he wrote for Nieuwe Revu and Quote, among others – while Yvonne Coldeweijer does not care too much about journalistic principles.”
It’s an interesting combination, says her guest Arno Kantelberg. He knows Mark because they recorded two pilot episodes together for a podcast earlier this year. “I think it’s super interesting, because those juice channels have come to play a huge role in part of the public debate. Yvonne Coldeweijer is the flagship of this.”
Bad development
Fellow guest Govert Schilling thinks otherwise. “Suddenly I have to think a bit of Maarten van Rossem. I watched De Slimste Mens last week and he said: ‘It’s actually too sad for words that you can’t ignore it anymore to know and hear things like this.’ Of course it’s not interesting at all,” says the science journalist.
He continues: “I actually think it’s a bad development that a ‘serious’ journalist like Mark Koster is going to work with this. For God’s sake, let that gossip journalism remain gossip journalism. Magazines, juice channels, it doesn’t interest me at all. I just don’t want to face it at all.”
Mark responds
What does Mark think of the criticism of his collaboration with Yvonne? Isn’t he afraid that more colleagues will think that he associates himself with Yvonne? “That’s a really good question. No actually not. I am the same in that as Yvonne: I really don’t care about that,” he tells PowNed.
He continues: “You have to judge me by what I make and what I write. That I’m talking to her about the juice… Boy, then you’re not listening, are you? Then why don’t you do something else? I am very lighthearted about that.”
PowNews
Mark and Yvonne in front of PowNed’s camera: