Stichting Democratie en Media

What is Stichting Democratie en Media?

Stichting Democratie en Media (SDM) works to promote a strong and pluralistic media landscape that enables our democracy to function effectively. The foundation was established by the courageous people who during the Second World War launched the illegal resistance newspaper Het Parool. This history gives us a deep-rooted conviction that  democracy, the rule of law and a healthy, free press require permanent attention and support. Together they form the foundation of a free, just and open society in which the equality of all citizens is guaranteed. SDM is a mission-driven, not-for-profit shareholder in DPG Media B.V. and De Correspondent B.V. We also develop and support initiatives that contribute to our mission.

What does Stichting Democratie en Media do? 

Stichting Democratie en Media is a mission-driven shareholder operating on a not-for-profit basis, and works to strengthen journalism and the democratic rule of law.

What does Stichting Democratie en Media do? 

Stichting Democratie en Media (known as Stichting Het Parool until 2003) was founded by brave resistance fighters who first published the newspaper Het Parool illegally during the Second World War. They continued to publish this newspaper after the Netherlands was liberated, convinced that a free press is essential for a thriving democracy. 

When the increasing competition from television forced Dutch daily newspapers to scale up, Het Parool joined forces with de Volkskrant and became de Perscombinatie. They each kept their own editors and identity: that was essential. De Perscombinatie continued to grow to become PCM, the largest publisher of quality daily newspapers in the Netherlands. This meant that the role of the foundation Stichting Het Parool was all the more important: to safeguard the identity and the continuity of Het Parool daily newspaper. 

When Het Parool became independent in 2003, the ties between the daily newspaper and the foundation Stichting Het Parool were cut. A new foundation is now safeguarding the identity of Het Parool: Stichting Het Nieuwe Parool. Stichting Het Parool continued to be shareholder of PCM (now: DPG Media Nederland). To avoid any confusion, the foundation changed its name to Stichting Democratie en Media (SDM). 

Who is on the board of the foundation?

The daily management of Stichting Democratie en Media (SDM) is in the hands of the director with a team of 10 employees. There is an independent supervisory board to keep an eye on everything. This supervisory board consists of five members who are appointed by the supervisory board itself. Members are appointed for four years and can be reappointed once. 

The director is:

Nienke Venema

2014— present

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Director

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Nienke Venema has been the director of SDM since 2014 and a board member since 2015. Under her leadership, the foundation has strengthened its role as a non-profit shareholder of DPG Media and De Correspondent B.V., and SDM has grown into a professional organization that develops and supports numerous initiatives each year. Nienke is also chair of the board of the European Press Prize.

The supervisory board currently consists of the following members:

Yvonne Zonderop

2021 — present

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Chair

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Yvonne Zonderop is chair of the supervisory board of Stichting Democratie en Media (SDM). She formerly worked as journalist for de Volkskrant, and she was on the supervisory boards of FD Mediagroep (the Dutch Financial Times), NOS and Omroep Human. She is currently also vice-chair of the supervisory board of Clingendael Institute (the Netherlands Institute for International Relations).

Ernestine Comvalius

2021 — present

Over:

Ernestine Comvalius is a member of the supervisory board of SDM. She was the director of Bijlmer Parktheater for eleven years. She now teaches Creative Writing, and she is chair of the board of several organisations, including The Black Archives, the international literature festival ‘Read my World’ and the Hiphophuis. 

Aartie Hoeblal

2021 — present

Over:

Aartie Hoeblal is member of the supervisory board of SDM. She is director of fiduciary execution at MN , which provides asset management services for various pension funds, and she has more than 20 years of experience in the financial sector. She is listed in the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance and she is a member of Women in Financial Services (WIFS) and SER.

Ot van Daalen

2023 — present

Over:

Ot van Daalen is member of the supervisory board of SDM. He is a researcher and lecturer in privacy law and security law at the Institute for Information Law at the University of Amsterdam. He is also a deputy judge at the district court of The Hague and founder of law firm Root Legal. 

Annual reports (in Dutch only)

Articles of association (in Dutch only)

We are available by phone on weekdays (except Wednesdays) at 020-5300300 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If we don't answer, please try again later.

For more information, visit www.sdm.nl.