Lively discussions and exciting journalistic projects

De Volkskrant was founded in 1919, but the foundation that protects its identity was not established until 1968. What has Stichting de Volkskrant been doing since then as guardian of that title? 'You have a clear role, you contribute ideas, and you have vision,' says chairwoman Nienke Meijer.

After the First World War, de Volkskrant emerged from the Catholic labor movement, which sought to emancipate the people. Elevation through freedom, equality, and democracy: this requires independent information. The newspaper still describes its course as 'socially engaged and progressive.' 

You became chair of the foundation's board in 2019. Why de Volkskrant?

'It occupies an important position and has a wide reach. It is a newspaper that highlights different political and social perspectives and keeps them open for discussion. The editorial team also really delves into research. This newspaper shows nuances and is critical. I enjoy reading it very much.'

How can such a foundation help to monitor that course?
'We don't take the place of the editorial team, but contribute strategically as a sparring partner for the editor-in-chief. I worked for publisher Wegener for twenty years, so I have broad experience in the newspaper industry. Every quarter, we meet with the editor-in-chief and have lively discussions, and we also meet annually with the editorial board. For example, we discuss questions such as: should you give a platform to politicians who may be telling untruths? Because you want to provide multifaceted reporting. You are looking for a shared reality where there is still room to disagree with each other.'

And more business-related?
'We protect our title in shareholder meetings and finance major journalistic projects by the editorial team. Not to fill gaps in the budget, but to have extra impact and strengthen the newspaper's identity.'

Why was Stichting De Volkskrant only established in 1968?
'That was when the title merged with Het Parool to form a single publishing group, which has since grown into DPG Media. Other titles were added later, such as Trouw (1975), NU.nl (2019), and most recently RTL Nederland (2025). With RTL, the group became so large that we negotiated additional safeguards. Suppose that different people take the helm at DPG Media. Or another group joins and the control structure changes. We want to keep the news media independent, pluralistic, and reliable. We now have agreements in place to ensure that.'

How can you exert influence with a shareholding of 0.52 percent?
'The title foundations work together a lot. Stichting Democratie en Media (SDM) has 14.27 percent, the others have between half a percent and one percent. Together, we have a priority share of over 16 percent, with certain rights such as a veto on sales or objections to major price changes.'

Is it necessary to resist?
'Actually, I notice that DPG Media values our role and expertise. We discuss issues such as: how much content do you actually share with other titles? Or with RTL? In the past, everything was open. Now we are constantly looking for where that line is. You shouldn't put an article written for Trouw in a Volkskrant jacket.'

Subscribers can already read every other DPG Media title online for free. Smart?

'We are also considering this online strategy: will it help DPG gain a stronger position in the digital market? If the articles clearly come from different media in terms of look and feel, it's not a problem.'

It's quite a big job. That requires knowledge in the board.
'Yes, you really have to take that responsibility. The newspaper's editorial board nominates four members, and we nominate three. For each vacancy, we carefully consider what knowledge is needed. This year, Perre van den Brink (1983) joined us for his expertise in digital technology and in what young people are looking for. We also want a legal expert for the articles of association and financial expertise because we have been managing assets since the merger. We use the dividend (four to four and a half hundred thousand euros per year) to finance journalistic projects through the Stimuleringsfonds.'

Do your heavyweights and the editorial team ever clash?
'Oh yes, there's a lot of discussion. Then someone from the board will say: “I think this is a really strange choice.” Or: “How did you come up with this?” It can get pretty heated. You have a clear role, you contribute ideas and you have vision. The editor-in-chief then decides whether to be inspired or not. The beauty of that openness is the substantive discussion. About readership, impact, truth and disinformation, integrity and independence. Then we realize how special it is that there are such large groups of journalists who take their role so seriously in this changing world.'