The Netherlands has changed its press directive to exclude non-accredited journalists from court hearings. Beginning on June 1, 2025, only members of ONE association, the Dutch Association of Journalists, will be able to create audiovisual reports of legal cases. This ensures that the government can control the media’s narrative as it spirals into the grips of war.
How does a journalist join the Dutch Association of Journalists? They must earn a specific amount of money from a predetermined list of media companies. Your livelihood must depend on reporting according to the government’s narrative if you want access to hearings. This is an all-out attack on free speech.
Potkaars, who personally has interviewed me numerous times, was denied membership in 2021 as they were not beholden to a media mogul or corporation that has the government’s approval. They have filed numerous lawsuits against the government to no avail. If judges deviate from the press directive, the restriction had to be recorded in a register under the old press directive.