Van der Plas Disputes Claim She Sought Jinek‘s Removal from Broadcast
Caroline van der Plas, leader of the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) party, has publicly denied allegations that she contacted broadcaster Avrotros to request the removal of talk show host Eva Jinek from the air. The denial comes in response to a column published by Angela de Jong in AD,which van der Plas claims presented a “fictional” scenario as fact.
De Jong’s column, published on [date of AD column – inferred from URL: November 22, 2023], discussed the recent removal of Jimmy Kimmel from the American airwaves and alluded to potential interference in Dutch broadcasting. The column reportedly featured a headline suggesting van der Plas had pressured Avrotros due to Jinek’s critical coverage of the BBB. Van der Plas stated during an appearance on the NPO program Cafe Kockelmann that the headline – “Caroline van der Plas belt: whether Avrotros wants to take Eva Jinek off the tube because she is too critical” – was inaccurate and misleading. “That was a fictional example of Angela de Jong,” she said, noting the AD had as amended the headline.
The controversy stems from a broader discussion about political influence on public broadcasting. De Jong’s column posited a hypothetical situation where Jinek’s criticism of the BBB could lead to pressure for her removal,drawing parallels to instances of arjen Lubach allegedly contacting RTL boss Peter van der Vorst regarding Geert Wilders.
Van der Plas acknowledged her interest in overseeing how public funds are allocated to broadcasting, but emphasized her support for journalistic independence. “You are a journalist and you are free to critically question me,” she stated. “if I didn’t feel like it or was afraid of it, I would not have been here.” Though, she also raised concerns about the objectivity of some programming, questioning whether broadcasts consistently present unbiased perspectives.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between politicians and the media in the netherlands, particularly regarding the role of public broadcasting and the boundaries of acceptable criticism.
