A reflection of society, and of Trouw's readers

The media foundation of Trouw has a very distinctive name: the Stichting ter Bevordering van de Christelijke Pers in Nederland. Its aim is not to keep the newspaper Christian, but primarily to protect its guiding values. Chairman Ad Koppejan: 'You have to cherish your roots.'

On a cold February 18, 1943, Trouw appeared for the first time. With this illegal newspaper, the Protestant resistance celebrated the birth of Princess Margriet. What began with a Reformed readership changed, due to the decline of religious and political divisions, into an audience of 'engaged citizens' with a special interest in sustainability, healthcare, education, religion, and philosophy.

Since 1966, the newspaper's identity has been protected by the Stichting ter Bevordering van de Christelijke Pers in Nederland, which was established for Trouw at the time of secularization.

So the name ‘Stichting Trouw’ (Foundation Trouw) could also have been used?
‘Yes,’ Ad Koppejan thinks aloud. ‘Our name has grown like this. We may change it at some point, but it is also stated in the articles of association. We used to be Protestant Christian, Reformed, but based on that philosophy, we are now open to the world and other religions.’

Did you already read Trouw? 
‘I have since my student days; my parents didn't. They read the Reformed Nederlands Dagblad and the Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant. But they owned a hotel and De Telegraaf was available there. I said to my parents: “You don't want a newspaper with all those sex ads, do you?” That quickly convinced them to switch to Trouw instead.’

Do you see specific Christian values reflected in the course?
‘It is more the Christian origins from which Trouw derives its ideals. You have to cherish your roots, while also moving with the times. For example, we have just agreed to the new editorial charter due to the takeover of RTL Nederland by DPG Media. This charter clearly describes those ideals: striving for justice, fairness, freedom, peace, and responsibility for our fellow human beings and the environment. These are Christian values—which, fortunately, we share with many others. They are reflected in the emphasis on meaning, philosophy of life, sustainability, and health.'

Nevertheless, your board members are affiliated with the CDA, the ChristenUnie, and the Vrije Universiteit. Ms. Rhoïnde Doth is even bishop of the Evangelical Moravian Church. 
Koppejan laughs. ‘We also have a former SP member of the Senate and alderman on the board: Arjan Vliegenthart, our valued vice-chairman and treasurer. But no, that's not the case. In the past, certain social positions automatically made you a member of this board. I joined as a student because I was chairman of the CDA youth organization CDJA.’

Isn't the board more religious than the editorial staff and readers?
‘When I returned as chair in 2021, I abolished the practice of people automatically joining this board, thereby reducing the CDA influence. Now we look at identity and quality: what does the board, and Trouw in particular, need? There is a Muslim woman on the board, because we like to have a representative from the Muslim community. We also want to reflect our multicultural society. Bishop Doth comes from Curaçao and represents the migrant churches in the Netherlands. There is a real entrepreneur on the board: Peter Rietberg, former chairman of the multinational family business Royal Van Leeuwen, and we are still looking for someone with knowledge of digitization and new media use.'

Your board is large: fifteen members. Do you have the upper hand in discussions with the editorial team?
‘The entire General Board only meets two or three times a year, and only the smaller Executive Committee (five members) meets with the editors-in-chief every two months to make quicker decisions. We are really there to support Trouw, especially in financing journalistic projects that would otherwise not be possible. There is a strict separation between us and the independent editorial board—it is not done to intervene in articles. We do talk to the editors-in-chief about considerations, such as the policy for selecting columnists. When we discuss a funding application for a project, journalists sometimes take our suggestions on board. Or they come back afterwards to tell us about their work and discoveries, as in the case of the podcast De Vrouwen van Saramacca (The Women of Saramacca), which we funded.'

How much can this foundation finance?
‘The SCP has accumulated capital that we maintain at a certain level. Each year, we receive approximately €200,000 in income from investment returns and dividends. We spend this on administrative and office costs, and around €130,000 on journalistic projects and activities with readers.’

Is contributing to exceptional journalism one of your main tasks?
‘Definitely, because projects like these strengthen Trouw’s identity. We also represent the newspaper at shareholder meetings within DPG Media and help decide on a new editorial board.

I think the group treats us well. For example, they organize an information meeting prior to the shareholders' meeting. We were also all asked to approve the acquisition of RTL Nederland. They want all the foundations to be on the same page.'

When do you really need to protect that identity?
‘At DPG Media, we guard against commercial interests that are not in line with Trouw’s values and identity. Imagine that the publisher signs a contract with Second Love, a dating site for people who are cheating on their partners, and all newspapers have to place an advertisement on their front page. Then we would say, together with the editors-in-chief: “That’s not going to happen; now we have a problem.”’