A year after the approved takeover, DPG media foundations join forces: 'We protect what is not for sale: editorial independence'
A year after the approved takeover of RTL Nederland by DPG Media Nederland, two brand-new media foundations are firmly established: Stichting NU.nl and Stichting RTL Nieuws. With six mission-driven shareholders, the protection of our media landscape is exceptionally strong and future-proof. 'We protect what is not for sale: editorial independence,' the media foundations write.
At the end of June 2025, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) approved the proposed takeover of the Luxembourg-based company RTL Nederland by DPG Media Nederland. To protect media pluralism and access to diverse news sources, strict conditions were attached to the approval. Among other things, the news from RTL Nieuws and NU.nl must remain freely accessible, and their editorial teams must operate independently from one another.
The editorial statutes of all DPG titles were updated. The editorial statute is, from an international perspective, a unique measure that legally anchors editorial independence. The media foundations provide internal oversight of compliance with these statutes.
Two new media foundations were also established, each holding a priority share in their respective title: Stichting RTL Nieuws and Stichting NU.nl. They hold a right of veto should the company wish to close, sell, or fundamentally change the identity of NU.nl or RTL Nieuws.
Formidable powers
The news organisations de Volkskrant, Het Parool and Trouw each already had such a foundation safeguarding their title. At the overarching level, Stichting Democratie en Media (SDM) stands firmly for journalistic pluralism. With the approved takeover, SDM gained control over the sale or discontinuation of all national news organisations of DPG Media Nederland. In addition, the foundation can block a stock market listing or sale of the company. 'We're like an extra lock on the door,' the media foundations state.
The media foundations are led by their own independently appointed board members. Arendo Joustra, who recently became chair of Stichting RTL Nieuws, points to the 'formidable powers' that the foundations behind DPG titles hold.
Editor-in-chief Ilse Openneer looks forward to shaping 'the future of RTL Nieuws together with the foundation'. Lindsay Mossink, editor-in-chief of NU.nl, is also pleased with the new foundations. 'With Stichting NU.nl, we now have a partner who can always support us with advice and action, and who stands firmly for values such as autonomy, independence and identity.'
The playing field has become global
The media foundations are not commercial investors, but mission-driven shareholders of DPG Media Nederland. 'Our origins remind us of how important a pluralistic media landscape is,' says Nienke Venema, director of Stichting Democratie en Media, which has its roots in the illegal Het Parool. 'The playing field is no longer national, but global. Media can no longer be seen as separate from the technologies of the tech giants,' says Venema. With the media foundations in place, the Dutch media landscape is uniquely protected against political and commercial influences.
