19/10/2022
If The Hague represents international peace, why aren't the international voices in our community being heard?
Official sources state that more than half of the 550,000 population of The Hague have an immigrant background! The nation's third largest city hosts American, British, French and German elementary-high schools and an international university. The Hague hosts nearly 500 non-profits such as NGO’s, embassies, consulates, cultural and knowledge centers. The International Criminal Court employs thousands from all over the world to defend victims of war crimes and protect justice. Yet with all this wealth of internationalism, our local media doesn’t showcase any of these cultural or intelligence institutions.
I’m an American-Asian female entrepreneur proudly based in The Hague, one of the world's capitals for rights, peace and justice. In my 35 (tax paying and voting rights) years here, I have established a vast network of peace makers, creatives, refugees/immigrants, corporate folk, other entrepreneurs. I know how diverse our city is, I know that many of my Hagenese friends have no idea what’s happening with the ethnic communities around them. They should. Global knowledge is the base for a good democracy. As President of Toastmasters of The Hague, I encourage our ethnic club members to find their voice so they can share their life stories with the public. You’d think that our local media would shine a light on these institutions, game changers and peace makers, but they don’t. Kernels of truth can be found as close as your next door neighbors. This is the job of local media – to cover how global issues affect local communities. Yet they fail at their responsibilities of journalism. My demand for accountability had fallen on deaf ears. Why? Because the powers that be, are not transparent with how nearly €800,000/year of tax payer money is used in local broadcasting.
Yeah, I can shout louder. In a few hours, I will go to a governmental hearing in Hilversum, NL to prove my point – The Big Wigs will be there - The Hague city council, the existing broadcaster Stads Omroep and the nation's governing board for media (Commissariat voor de Media). It will be my daunting task to inform the government, the supervising departments, and the local station itself, that they aren’t doing their job. Dutch media law demands financial transparency in how monies are being invested in broadcasting. Dutch law requires an unbiased Editor-in-Chief in place for fair representation of opposing views. These two fundamental laws of Dutch media are being violated by the institutions that govern them. I might be silenced from today onwards – but I want to YOU to know where we ALL should stand.
We owe these truths to our city, our brave citizens, our peace makers and international community to show the world that we are a city that listens…to everyone.
Sonia Sin – Chairman Stitching Omroep Den Haag
