Stichting RTL Nieuws

Who we are

What is Stichting RTL Nieuws?

The Dutch foundation Stichting RTL Nieuws monitors the independence and identity of and the free access to journalistic productions by RTL Nieuws. The foundation was first set up after RTL Nederland was taken over by DPG Media in 2025. This was one of the conditions of the independent regulator the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) before they would give permission for this takeover. Thanks to the priority share that the foundation Stichting RTL Nieuws has in DPG Media, the foundation acts as both a watchdog, an emergency break and a buffer.

Stichting RTL Nieuws has the following four goals as stated in the Articles of Association of the foundation:

1. Safeguarding the identity and continuity of RTL Nieuws. The identity of RTL Nieuws is described in the editorial statute as follows:

- RTL Nieuws does not have any ties with any commercial, political, religious and/or any other interest groups.
- RTL Nieuws aims to present the news objectively and impartially. It has a critical role in both the national and the international constitutions.
- RTL Nieuws also aims to cover and analyse the news both in a broad-ranging and in-depth manner.
- What’s more, RTL Nieuws will follow the principles of being journalistically thorough and well-balanced when performing its work of covering and analysing the news.
- Editors who work within the scope of this editorial statute are expected to carry out their work impartially. Editors will refrain from any actions or expressions that may harm the independent and objective nature of RTL Nieuws.

2. Owning one or more priority shares in the capital of the company and investing the funds in general.

3. Improving the quality of RTL Nieuws and all its activities in the widest sense of the word.

4. Performing all legal actions, in the widest sense, which are related to the above or stem from the above or could be beneficial to the above.

What we do

Wat does Stichting RTL Nieuws do?

The board of Stichting RTL Nieuws ensures that the goals of this foundation are achieved by having regular meetings with the editors-in-chief and the Editorial Council of RTL Nieuws; by taking part in the shareholders meeting of DPG Media; by checking the annual reports and annual accounts of DPG Media that should offer an insight as to whether RTL Nieuws operates independently and is not influenced by the other news organisations of DPG Media; by being on the selection committee when a new editor-in-chief of RTL Nieuws is appointed; by having meetings with the other foundations that are safeguarding the news organisations of DPG Media; and by carrying out all the actions that it considers necessary.

'The members of Stichting RTL Nieuws will safeguard the identity and the mission of our wonderful news brand. RTL Nieuws has a special place in the Dutch journalistic landscape and aims to continue to grow in the next few years. We will shape the future of RTL Nieuws in close collaboration with the foundation Stichting RTL Nieuws.'

Ilse Openneer, editor-in-chief RTL Nieuws

RTL-correspondent Conny Mus (1950-2010) (© RTL Nieuws)

Background

When was Stichting RTL Nieuws founded?

The Dutch foundation Stichting RTL Nieuws was set up on 1 October 2025. The journalistic news organisation RTL Nieuws was founded many years ago on 2 October 1989 starting with a news programme on television. Since then, RTL Nieuws has grown into a 24/7 news organisation with not only RTL Nieuws, but also Editie NL, RTL Z and RTL Weer (RTL Weather). Apart from the television broadcasts, we also continuously inform the general public via the app, the website and social media.

Eerste uitzending van RTL met Jeroen Pauw (© RTL Nieuws)

The board

Who is on the board of the foundation?

The board consists of three members who are appointed for a period of three years. They are allowed to be re-appointed twice, so they can be on the board for a maximum of nine years. Before a board member is appointed, the editors-in-chief of RTL Nieuws are given the opportunity to give advice.

The board of the foundation consists of the following members:

Arendo Joustra

2025 — present

Functie:

Chair

Over:

Arendo Joustra (1957) is a journalist who has a great deal of experience as director and member of supervisory boards. He was chair of the Dutch Society of Editors-in-Chief (from 2006-2010), vice chair of the Supervisory Board of the Dutch Institute for Sound & Vision (from 1917-2025), and member of the Supervisory Board of The Roosevelt Institute for American Studies (from 2013-2020). He studied journalism and communication studies in the Netherlands and the United States of America, worked at de Volkskrant (from 1980-1989) and Elsevier magazine (from 1989-2024), where he was editor-in-chief for a quarter of a century.

Petra ter Doest

2025 — present

Functie:

Secretary

Over:

Petra ter Doest (1961) is career advisor and certified coach. She specialises in developing the professional identity and works with professionals from the world of business and the public sector. During the first 25 years of her career she was a journalist, including for RTL Nieuws and Elsevier magazine. She made magazines, co-developed journalistic software, gave training courses and lectures to journalists and future journalists. In 2014 she was a member of the advisory committee Toekomst Publieke Omroep (The future of the Dutch public broadcasting corporation). From 1980 to 1986 she studied history at the University of Utrecht.

Documents

Articles of association (in Dutch only)

Statuten Stichting RTL Nieuws

Download

Contact

Contact the foundation
for more information

infostichtingrtlnieuws@gmail.com

www.sdm.nl

020-5300300

The affiliated foundations

Stichting De Volkskrant

Stichting Het Nieuwe Parool

Stichting NU.nl

Stichting ter Bevordering van de Christelijke Pers in Nederland

Stichting Democratie en Media