UG to receive a chair by special appointment for Local Public Broadcasting

Today, Yael de Haan has been appointed Professor by special appointment of Local Public Broadcasting at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Groningen. The new chair will form an important contribution to the academic and policy insights into the role and function of the local public broadcaster within society.

Municipalities increasingly carry out tasks that directly influence the private lives of citizens. This makes the journalistic work of the local media more important than ever for the functioning of the local democracy and society, which also leads to a growing need for insight into the role and functioning of the local public broadcaster. The chair by special appointment will fulfil this need.

Research into local media

De Haan's research will be positioned within the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies. ‘This new chair will give research into the role and function of local media for the democracy and society a major boost,’ says Thony Visser, Dean of the Faculty of Arts. ‘It aligns with the societal task the Faculty has. Our Journalism Master’s students will also be able to profit from the insights from Yael de Haan's research.’

Yael de Haan: ‘The UG’s research into media and journalism is renowned. My interest within the new chair is mainly on the question of how relevant, attractive, and future-proof local media are and remain, and what the role and function of the local public broadcaster is in the local journalistic ecosystem. It should be stressed that this also involves public research and ensuring how to adequately match the needs of the public to local journalism.’

Professionalization of the local broadcaster

The chair has been established by the Nederlandse Lokale Publieke Omroepen (NLPO, Dutch Local Public Broadcasters) for a period of five years. The chair starts on the eve of a radical transition concerning more than 250 local public broadcasters in the Netherlands. In the coming years, the legal requirements regarding local broadcasting will be tightened and the further journalistic professionalization and organizational strengthening. The chair can give a major boost to all of these developments.

About Yael de Haan

Prof. Yael de Haan is, besides professor by special appointment, also Professor of Quality Journalism in Digital Transition at the HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. She received her PhD in 2011 for her research on media criticism and journalistic transparency. She published multiple academic papers on this topic and co-wrote various book chapters that contribute to the discussion of media responsibility, also in her role as member of the Press Council. She is the leader of several research projects and supervises PhD students who focus on changing media consumption and the resulting consequences for journalism. Yael is also a board member of the Dutch Journalism Fund.