‘Mama, I made it!!!!!’* With these words, Media & Journalism alumna Denise Bouwmeester proudly shared a highlight on LinkedIn: winning an award for best regional journalism newcomer of last year. Something she never dared to dream of when she started as Head of Online & Social at regional broadcaster Rijnmond in April 2024. We visited her for a conversation about her passion for the profession, her career path, the latest trends in online journalism and the secret behind Rijnmond's successful social media strategy.
During the master in Media & Journalism, Denise builds a strong theoretical foundation. She learns about concepts such as polarisation, distrust in journalism and public engagement - topics that play an important role later on in her career at Rijnmond. That the master’s programme focuses more on theory than on practice is something she figures out when she starts working as a freelancer at Rijnmond halfway through her studies. “When I walked in here on the first day I really thought: I have no idea what I’m supposed to do,” says Denise. “I was overwhelmed and suddenly had to type a news article under time pressure.” Despite this challenging start in the field, her academic background with her strategic and reflective outlook soon proved to be of added value within the company. Because that theoretical basis not only helps her think about strategy, solutions and future perspectives, but also reflect on the impact of stories and the way of working as a social media team.
Making choices, seizing opportunities
What started as a side job during her master's grew into a great career for Denise at Rijnmond. She started as a freelance editor at the online newsroom, then was hired as background editor where she delved into in-depth stories, and subsequently made a surprising leap to the social media editorial team. Although she wondered if she was straying too far from her path - after all, she had developed a passion for writing as a journalist - the coordinating role turned out to be perfect for her.
She brought structure, introduced thinking from the audience’s perspective, and further built the team. When in April 2024 the opportunity arose to become Head of Online & Social, she seized it with both hands. “I found it quite exciting, but I just started doing it,” Denise says. By consistently choosing what she truly enjoyed at the moment and putting all her passion into it, a new door kept opening. Her most important lesson? Making small choices based on intuition often leads you exactly where you need to be.
“That is not journalism, is it?”
However, it wasn't always easy to lead as a young woman of 23 years old in an organisation full of experienced colleagues. “In the beginning, people looked at me with some distrust and wondered: “Do we have to accept something from this girl?", says Denise. “Colleagues also didn't always understand the importance of team social. What does a radio and TV company need with that; that's not journalism, is it?” But she did not get discouraged and learned that the biggest challenge lay within herself. “You cannot change how others look at you, your presence does something to them, but you can choose how to deal with it.”
"We started reasoning more from the target audience's point of view: how can we speak the language of our audience, and how can we involve their perceptions in the stories we create”
Speaking the language of your audience
Soon it became clear that people could no longer ignore team social: on Instagram, the number of views grew from 250,000 per month (when they just started), to about 3 to 4 million views per month (currently). The secret behind this success? First, by choosing a clear target audience: young people aged 18 to 35. Additionally, the team started reasoning much more from the target audience's point of view. “How can we speak the language of our audience, and how can we involve their perceptions in the things we create?” Denise explains. “So instead of placing ourselves as journalists above the people, we stand among them.”
From this audience-oriented approach – something that was addressed a lot during the Media & Journalism programme – Denise and her team develop human stories and behind-the-scenes content that truly resonate with their audience, for example about themes such as identity, housing, going out, technology, career and money. This way, Rijnmond tries to make the connection with their audience more personal in a time when distrust towards journalism is growing.
Recognition
Denise's talent did not go unnoticed by the Regional Public Broadcaster (RPO). This spring, she received the ‘Newcomer’ award at the Regiohelden Awards (Regional Heroes Awards). Despite the personal nature of the award, where she is praised for her vision and leadership skills, it feels much more like a team achievement for Denise. "As a team we worked hard for a few years, experimented and hit walls until it worked. So this award is as much for the team as it is for me. That social media is now on the map and also recognised by people outside the company is the icing on the cake."
Do you also dream of a career in media or journalism? Don't wait until you have your diploma: write, pitch, try, fail, learn and repeat. Every experience during your studies, from an internship to a freelance writing assignment, is a step towards your place in the media landscape, advises Denise.
*Roxy Dekker reference for fellow Gen Z’ers