Former staff revisit working atmosphere at DWDD
Actress Lies Visschedijk again makes the atmosphere behind the scenes a subject of discussion.
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The working atmosphere at the former programme De Wereld Draait Door has once again been discussed in a public conversation. According to a summary published on Sunday, actress Lies Visschedijk described the atmosphere as exceptionally tense.
Visschedijk spoke about this together with Aaf Brandt Corstius. The comments appeared in a public entertainment report published on Saturday 17 October. The supplied headlines refer to the same statements.
The discussion about the working environment at DWDD is not new. In 2022, public reports appeared about allegations of a culture of fear behind the scenes. The NPO subsequently announced measures for a safer working environment within public broadcasting.
The new statements are not an independent investigation and, in themselves, do not establish any new fact about the current situation at the NPO. They do show that the issue is being raised again in the public and cultural sectors, years after the programme disappeared from television.
When reporting on workplace culture, a distinction must be made between personal experiences, journalistic investigation and formal findings. A former employee’s statement may be relevant, but it does not automatically prove that every employee had the same experience or that all allegations have been legally established.
The case touches on broader questions about power relations in newsrooms, the protection of employees and broadcasters’ responsibility. The editorial team is therefore using the new statements as a reason to provide context, not as evidence of new abuses.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Lies Visschedijk and Aaf Brandt Corstius spoke publicly about the working atmosphere at DWDD.
- Public reports about the programme’s working environment had already appeared in 2022.
- The new statements are not an independent investigation into the current NPO.
Left
Arguments The experiences underline that abuse of power and unsafe behaviour in newsrooms must be tackled structurally, even when programmes are successful.
Values Employee protection, equality and social safety.
Consequences More oversight and reporting channels can protect employees, but also require careful investigation and privacy safeguards.
Centre
Arguments Broadcasters must establish clear procedures, independent confidential advisers and the right to be heard and to respond, without first settling every personal experience legally or publicly.
Values Due care, institutional responsibility and legal protection.
Consequences A procedural approach can restore trust, but becomes unconvincing if reports remain unresolved for too long.
Right
Arguments Public institutions must hold those responsible to account, but the discussion must not descend into collective blame or a judgement without verifiable facts.
Values Individual responsibility, proportionality and freedom of expression.
Consequences Restraint can limit reputational damage, but must not become an excuse for failing to investigate abuses.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text attributes the new statements to the people involved and distinguishes them from earlier reporting. The passage about earlier allegations is presented as context, rather than as a new finding.
- confirmed Lies Visschedijk and Aaf Brandt Corstius discussed the working atmosphere at DWDD on 17 October 2026. — Reported by Ditjes en Datjes in a public article dated 17 October. source
- confirmed There were public reports in 2022 about a culture of fear at DWDD. — Included in the publicly available background information about the programme. source
- confirmed The new statements do not prove new abuses at the NPO. — This is a journalistic delineation of the source’s evidential weight, not a factual allegation. source
Editor's note
The new statements have been confirmed through a public entertainment source. The broader context comes from publicly available background information; paid reporting was not used.Sources
- Aaf en Lies: sfeer bij DWDD was meest a-relaxte op aarde — Ditjes en Datjes
- De Wereld Draait Door — Wikipedia
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „dwdd npo”
- NOS — „dwdd npo”
- Het Parool — „dwdd npo”