Reporting on global politics in Belgium – neutrality and independence or activism?

The Belgian media landscape, aside from the public broadcaster VRT, is in the hands of two major family-owned companies: DPG Media and Mediahuis. In addition, Roularta owns the opinion magazine Knack.

Reporting on global politics in Belgium therefore comes from a very limited number of organisations. It should also be noted that DPG and the public broadcaster hold such a large market share that the remaining news supply pales in comparison. The question arises: is there neutrality and independence, or activism?

Independent Journalism

The situation in the Netherlands is almost identical, as the public broadcaster, DPG, Mediahuis, and Roularta similarly divide the market there. The difference is that in the Netherlands, many news and opinion podcasts have developed into a significant force, whereas in Belgium this is still in its infancy.

This is also the reason for this initiative:BeNews.media , featuring opinion articles on our website and podcasts available via our site, Spotify, YouTube, and social media channels. A pluralistic media landscape leads to more neutrality and independence instead of activism.

Last year, two very interesting reports were published simultaneously on Belgian and Dutch reporting on international developments, particularly in the Middle East since October 7, 2023. The report published in 2025 by Maaike van Charante can be found here:https://watlerenweonzekinderen.nl/lees-het-rapport/

This is a very extensive analysis of reporting on the situation in the Middle East since October 7, 2023, by the Dutch public broadcaster, specifically focused on youth news (Jeugdjournaal and School-TV). According to this report, there is no neutrality and independence in the Netherlands, but rather activism in journalism.

In Belgium, a comparable report for Flanders covering the same period was published by the Jewish Information and Documentation Centre (JID). This report can be found here:https://stopantisemitisme.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Media-analyse-JID-webpagina-1.pdf

When we compare both media analyses, one thing stands out immediately: the similarity between Flanders and the Netherlands in one-sided and activist reporting on the wars involving Israel in the Middle East. Both the Dutch public broadcaster and the Flemish public broadcaster are structurally engaged in activist reporting, particularly in news aimed at young people.

The situation in youth news (VRT Nwsnwsnws on Instagram) is so one-sided that nearly 100% of the reporting is negative about Israel. On average, VRT presents only 3% of the news from the Israeli perspective, while 77% is presented from the “Palestinian” perspective. It should be noted that this Palestinian perspective is strongly influenced by the lack of independent journalists in Gaza and the fact that Hamas exercises control there. Approximately 20% of the reporting can be considered neutral or balanced. In those cases, Israel is often only marginally involved in the specific reporting.

However, VRT is the organisation mandated by the state to provide neutral reporting and information to the public.

The JID report suggests that there is little evidence of this. Furthermore, when one realises that the only reporting that can be considered neutral or from an Israeli perspective often concerns the release of Israeli hostages, it becomes clear that this is more than incidental emphasis on one side of the story. The narrative appears to consistently move in one direction. Is there also, in Flanders, a lack of neutrality and independence within the public broadcaster, replaced by activism in journalism? It certainly seems so.

The same pattern can be observed in the print media. The so-called quality newspapers De Standaard and De Morgen stand out, with more than three-quarters of their reporting from the Palestinian narrative and only 2% and 4% respectively from the Israeli perspective.

As a result, the Flemish population is being structurally informed in a one-sided manner from multiple directions.

According to this perspective, Israel, which is defending its country and civilian population against attacks from Iran and its proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis), is portrayed in the media as the main aggressor and as a criminal, colonial “regime,” rather than as a democracy with a highly diverse population.

Meanwhile, public perception in Europe has evolved to the point where a large part of the population is convinced that Israel is the aggressor seeking territorial expansion, while Muslims are seen as victims of alleged Jewish expansionist and colonial behaviour.

Returning to the JID media report, which was presented on August 12, 2025, in Antwerp in the presence of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA)

A large part of the Belgian and Dutch media attended this symposium, yet the Belgian media did not report on this media analysis report at all. Apparently, there is little willingness to discuss criticism of their own sector. Notably, “right-wing” Dutch media and several major Dutch opinion podcasters were present specifically because of the report including Maaike van Charante.

It is plausible that journalists who criticize reporting within their own media organisations risk their careers in Flanders, as there are no alternative news organizations they can turn to.

According to our own analysis, the situation has further deteriorated when observing the media.

Although the war in Gaza would now be over, Israel and the United States have, according to this view, neutralised the Ayatollah regime in Iran in order to end terrorism in the Middle East. Surrounding Arab countries would support this. Europe, on the other hand, is said to be looking the other way and even obstructing efforts by refusing to supply weapons and by closing airspace and military bases in several countries to American military flights.

According to this perspective, the Belgian press is also failing here to report neutrally. The aversion to Trump and Netanyahu is said to run so deep that media claim Trump has been manipulated by Netanyahu and that the war has yielded nothing, while, according to this view, the Iranian regime and its military capacity have been completely dismantled within a few weeks.

If the Belgian press were to report neutrally, then, according to this reasoning, the Belgian population and government would align themselves with Israel and the United States.

Belgium itself has sufficient experience with terrorism and the influence of Iran to understand that Israel is also fighting a war which, in this view, indirectly serves Europe’s interests.

Image credits: Camilo Jimenez via Unplash