Press freedom in the Netherlands is among the highest in the world, according to a report by campaign group Reporters without Borders to mark world press freedom day.

The Netherlands, which fell to 28^th place in the ranking in 2021 following the murder of television crime reporter Peter R de Vries, has risen to fourth position, behind Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

The report points out that “Russian media in exile, such as the Moscow Times and TV Dozhd, have found a safe haven in Amsterdam”.

But while press freedom is actively protected by the state and the government, “albeit more efficiently in continental Netherlands than in their overseas territories” the Dutch media are “under attack from populist parties on the far right and far left of the political spectrum,” the report said.

The four parties currently in talks on forming a new government are planning to cut spending on the public broadcasting system, which could lose up to a fifth of its budget.

“The less of the left-wing Liberal NPO noise the better,” said Geert Wilders, leader of the far right PVV. He has also called journalists “scum”.

In particular, the report said, the polarisation of public opinion on issues such as immigration, agriculture and climate change has led to an increase in physical and verbal attacks against journalists, especially against TV crews and photographers.

This, the report said, has led “some journalists to self-censorship and a reluctance to cover certain subjects”.

In addition, abuse and trolling on social networks impact news gathering and dissemination with female reporters and journalists of colour especially vulnerable to such attacks.

Incidents

According to a second monitor, focused on the Dutch media landscape only, journalists made 218 reports of incidents to monitoring body Persveilig last year, most of which involved threats, often verbal or on social media.

Among the incidents that report highlighted was the death threat made against journalist Tim Hofman by an armed man who came to the BNNVARA broadcasting centre and the gang attack on three PowNed journalists who were investigating the secret sunneklaasfeest festivities on Ameland.