news media

Two years ago, I received an email from Joris Gerritsen, editor-in-chief of De Gelderlander, with an unusual request: he wanted permission to ‘give away 175 free subscriptions for a year’. The idea was to use his paper’s 175th anniversary to give something back to people with limited means, who can’t afford to subscribe to a paper or news app. “In the Netherlands, we’ve got gaps in health, wealth and education, but there’s also a newspaper gap,” he wrote. 

Although our marketing department wondered if they were ‘familiar with our business model’ in Nijmegen, the proposal quickly gained support. News isn’t free, but everyone should still have access to it – including those struggling to make ends meet. Besides, it was De Gelderlander’s anniversary, and we were happy to spend some money. So I emailed back: ‘Go ahead, Joris’. 

Later, research by Radboud University in Nijmegen showed that the project had been a success. Having access to the news, online or in print, made participants feel more connected to the world around them. They were also better informed about what was happening in their region and in society at large, leading to greater social engagement. As a media company, this was music to our ears. 

Now, more than two years later, all our regional titles in the Netherlands and Belgium give away free newspapers daily – see the full story later in this annual report – up to a maximum of 5,000 subscriptions per year. We’re able to do this thanks to the invaluable support of the Food Bank and other organisations that help vulnerable people every day. 

Late last year, Dimitri Antonissen, editor-in-chief of Het Laatste Nieuws, travelled to Ghent to visit Ingrid, who’s thrilled with her free subscription. “There’s so much talk about people using Ozempic to lose weight, but as a diabetic I really need that drug, so I find myself constantly having to debunk false claims. But your piece explained it all very clearly.” She saved the article. 

The project has also given our newsrooms some valuable insights. Kees, a Dutchman living in Belgium, says that journalists “can’t imagine” what poverty really means for people like him who are in debt counselling. And when they do write about the topic, they tend to use difficult language, Marjolein told me. “I used to be a teacher and even I don’t understand all the words they use, so it must be a real struggle for vulnerable people to get through these long texts.” 

To everyone’s surprise, giving away free subscriptions turned out to be a learning opportunity – and it all started with De Gelderlander.