Equal Participation of Ethnic Minorities in the Media — the Case of the Netherlands

Abstract

The Netherlands has a population of 16 million people of which 10 per cent is of non-western origin. Most ethnic minority groups live in big cities like Amsterdam or Rotterdam where more than 50 per cent of the population are ethnic minority youngsters (0–14 years) (CBS, 2005). Despite this strong presence, different ethnic, cultural and religious groups fail to be equally or fairly represented in Dutch media. There are still relatively few media professionals from ethnic minority groups working in the media and there is a scarcity of stories, issues, debates and characters that adequately represent the views and cultures of minority ethnic communities.