The latest broadcast of ‘Ongehoord Nieuws’ by the public broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland briefly responded to the sudden departure of Raisa Blommestijn from the broadcaster. Last modified: January 30, 2024, 4:21 PM
“We think Raisa’s departure is very unfortunate and she did not have to leave,” says Reinette Klaver, former member of the Senate and House of Representatives on behalf of the PVV and board member of the broadcasting association, in the broadcast of Tuesday, January 30. ‘She is a very good presenter and has meant a lot to the broadcaster.’ Klaver calls her departure a ‘loss’.
Also read: Presenter Blommestijn leaves Ongehoord Nederland: ‘Requested several times to handle her online statements with care’
The board member does dispute Blommerstijn’s version of the story as to why she left the broadcaster. ‘The accusation she makes that she should stop her social media channels completely is not entirely true. She has been confronted about her social media behavior. As a presenter you are one anchor of the program and the face of the broadcaster. As a broadcaster you also want to radiate some neutrality.’
‘We have asked her to be a little careful on Twitter… that she sticks to the facts, that she does not put topics that we discussed in the broadcast on Twitter in advance with her opinion included, that she does not let people who she could critically question the broadcast, does not attack it on Twitter in advance.’
In Klaver’s eyes, Blommerstijn would see this as a ‘Twitter ban’, something that the driver disputes. ‘She does have a certain role as a presenter. You are also a poster boy for the broadcaster.’ However, there would be no question of ‘censorship’, as Blommerstijn called it. During the broadcast, Blommestijn announced via Twitter that in her view this representation of events was incorrect.
It is now being added @ongehoordnedtv claimed that no Twitter ban has been imposed.
That was very clearly Arnold Karskens’ message: quit Twitter – and all other social media – or leave.
That was the ultimatum and that was unacceptable to me.
— Raisa Blommestijn (@rblommestijn) January 30, 2024
The presenter, Tom de Nooijer, adds ‘personally’: ‘I find it incredibly sad that Raisa is now gone. We have had an incredible amount of fun working together. I also read the board’s statement yesterday. I was not present at that conversation, I cannot intervene in the content of it. But personally I want to say that here in the workplace there is absolute freedom of speech and no censorship. I haven’t been banned from Twitter either. In fact, if there was censorship, I would take action against it.’
De Nooijer adds that many employees of Ongehoord Nederland are active on Twitter and can do whatever they want there. ‘Finally, I think it’s unnecessary. It is incredibly sad, it comes at a bad time… The NPO just allowed us to stay, we have no choice but to continue.’
Finally, Klever says that the broadcaster was founded to ‘address major social themes such as mass migration, climate madness and the erosion of democracy.’ ‘Losing Raisa is a shame, but we will really continue.’ And Klever says that the broadcaster will continue as before. ‘We give a voice to the unheard in the Netherlands.’
Former PVV MP Harm Beertema says he ‘slept badly’ over the issue. ‘Concepts such as censorship are used too easily. I am also surprised by the many hate reactions on Twitter, accusing us of being “packed by the NPO” and that we are “controlled opposition”. Boys and girls, we just got here. Let’s expand the broadcaster.’ Let’s close ranks, concludes the former MP.