For students, the Master’s in Media & Journalism means that no matter what the day’s lecture covers, they always manage to link it to politics in The Hague in one way or another. This made it all the more special when political journalist Wilma Borgman from the NOS invited the group last week for an extensive tour of the House of Representatives and the NOS editorial office in The Hague.
Borgman has been working as a political reporter for years and is a regular contributor to the radio programme Het Oog op Morgen. Should she ever decide that reporting is no longer her calling, a career as a tour guide in The Hague would be a surprisingly natural path. Student Niene was blown away. ‘Wilma took us to places we’d never have been allowed to visit without her; it was truly very special.’
"From Nieuwspoort, we walked to the behind the scenes places of The Hague. There, we kept bumping into politicians at every turn. We saw Jimmy Dijk, Laurens Dassen and Henri Bontenbal; the best bit was that everyone greeted Wilma and us as if we were friends. Thanks to Wilma, we even managed to have a quick chat with Mirjam Bikker from the ChristenUnie before she had to go into a debate," says Niene.
The journalism students were ready with questions, often based on what they have learnt this year. That’s hardly surprising, as many of them are currently taking the Media and Politics course. There, they discuss all the ins and outs of the profession, with a particular focus on the interplay between journalism and power.
During the tour, Borgman recounted her personal experiences in vivid detail. About the so-called chips counter ("patatbalie") where journalists wait for politicians to ask quick questions. About the bench where she had to wait for hours during the coalition talks for a sign of life – she often had to wait, incidentally. And about the ironic moment when former Prime Minister Dick Schoof walked into a glass door, to the slight surprise of the journalists present.
Borgman also shared the less romantic secret of political journalism. She taught us that the key to finding the best news is building a professional relationship of trust with politicians. She clearly already had that trust in the bag.
Expectations versus reality
For student Remi, the biggest surprise was how different the political world looks when you’re actually immersed in it.
‘It’s good to see an institution like the House of Representatives up close, but at the same time realise that it often comes across as very formal and polished on television, whilst the world behind the scenes is, quite literally and figuratively, rather chaotic.’
During the tour, there was also an unexpected encounter. The group bumped into VVD press officer Simon Kandelaar, who had once been a Media & Journalism student himself. To the group’s surprise, his former thesis supervisor Chris Aalberts was also present, leading to a spontaneous mini-reunion. He admitted that Aalberts had sparked his passion for politics – a real ‘full circle’ moment.
Where the magic happens
After touring the halls of the House of Representatives, the group visited the place where all those political stories ultimately end up: the NOS editorial office in The Hague. For Niene, that was the highlight of the day. “We saw the room where Rob Jetten usually has his face made up before appearing on television, as well as the place where radio shows are conceived, recorded and edited.” As if that weren’t enough media glamour, Wilma Borgman also gave the group a short crash course in radio presentation. “She showed us how important intonation is when speaking on the radio.”
What stood out was the atmosphere in the newsroom. Journalists spoke openly about their work, deadlines and the political turmoil. ‘What struck me most was how passionate everyone is about their work,’ says Niene.
At a time when trust in news media is a frequent topic of discussion, this proved to be perhaps the most informative lesson of the day. Anyone who sees just how much work, energy and conviction goes into a single news item is bound to view and listen to the news with a slightly different perspective. At the end of the tour, Borgman extended an invitation to come back again. After this day in The Hague, for most students that sounded like an offer that required little thought.
