Council for Culture calls for journalism to be recognised as a vital sector
The council calls independent journalism a security issue and asks the government to put it on the European agenda.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
The Council for Culture advises the Dutch government to recognise independent journalism as a vital sector for democracy. According to the council, journalistic freedom in the Kingdom is under pressure from threats, economic vulnerability and digital attacks, among other factors.
On Monday, the council published an opinion describing journalism not only as a cultural or social good, but also as part of democratic and security infrastructure. Independent media scrutinise those in power, provide citizens with information and make public debate possible.
According to the Council for Culture, conflicts and geopolitical tensions are increasingly also being fought through cyberattacks and the sabotage of information. Newsrooms, archives, distribution systems and journalistic sources should therefore be better protected.
The council wants the Netherlands to put the issue on the agenda during the next Dutch presidency of the European Union in 2029. This is a long-term recommendation, not a direct new legal status for Dutch media companies.
The government still has to work out which measures this should involve. Possible areas include digital security, protection against intimidation, access to information and the financial resilience of news organisations. The advice does not prescribe that all media should be funded in the same way.
The call comes at a time when traditional newsrooms are dealing with falling advertising revenues, the spread of disinformation and growing online threats. These developments are not all the same problem and therefore do not automatically call for a single solution.
The Council for Culture has an advisory role. The cabinet and parliament will decide whether to adopt the advice and what concrete consequences it should have. The council explicitly links the protection of journalism to democratic resilience and security.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The Council for Culture has published advice on protecting journalism.
- The council links journalistic freedom to democratic resilience and security.
- The advice calls for European agenda-setting in 2029.
- The advice itself does not change any law or funding scheme.
Left
Arguments Journalism is a public service that cannot be left entirely to market forces. The government should actively support pluralism, local media and protection against intimidation.
Values Equal access to information, public scrutiny and pluralism.
Consequences Greater public support could prevent decline, but must safeguard independence and editorial autonomy.
Centre
Arguments Recognition as a vital sector could provide practical protection, for example against cyberattacks, without the government interfering in the content of reporting.
Values Institutional continuity, independence and proportionate policy.
Consequences A clear framework could increase resilience, but implementation must remain transparent and subject to scrutiny.
Right
Arguments A free press benefits above all from distance from government and strong private and civil-society funding. A new government status must not become an excuse for political influence or subsidising preferred journalism.
Values Freedom of association and expression, independence and a restrained government.
Consequences Protection should focus mainly on security and equal rules, while newsrooms continue to decide independently what they publish.
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 central recommendation and the reference to cyberattacks appear in the Council for Culture’s primary news report. The text distinguishes between the advice and any future policy decisions.
- confirmed The Council for Culture advises recognising journalism as a vital sector. — Stated in the council’s news report. source
- confirmed The council wants to put the issue on the agenda during the Dutch EU presidency of 2029. — Mentioned in the primary report. source
- confirmed The council regards protecting independent journalism as a security issue. — Mentioned in the primary report. source
Editor's note
The primary advice confirms the call and the proposed European agenda-setting. The possible measures are described in the article as options, not decisions.Sources
- Raad voor Cultuur: erken journalistiek als vitale sector voor de democratie — Raad voor Cultuur
- Vrije journalistiek is cruciaal voor democratie en verdient bescherming — Nederlands Dagblad
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „journalistiek persvrijheid”
- NU.nl — „journalistiek persvrijheid”
- De Telegraaf — „journalistiek persvrijheid”