Television politicians may sometimes treat with more respect in debate – nrc.nl

Illustration Angel Boligan

Dutch broadcasters think they can play with all politicians in a TV debate. Even their holiday snaps showing. Time that politicians themselves undertake the director, says Roderick Greeks , director of Dutch Debate Institute and author of A celebration of democracy .

“Where parties formerly easily let play off each other, they now form a regular block facing broadcasters,” Tom-Jan Meeus wrote in his column Hague Influences (7 February , NRC). This growing influence of political parties on major television debates is understandable. Broadcasters were in the past rather careless with debates, which politicians ran great risks.

In 1960, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy were the first conducted an election on TV. Pre-negotiated Republicans and Democrats on the design: content-Speak sequence, camera positions, moderator and is sitting or standing or spoken. All this to keep in control and prevent slipping. Nowadays the negotiations are there even brighter and more detailed. First among the political parties. Then that agreement to the broadcasters is presented as dictation

Read more in NRC Handelsblad. “Television should politicians ever more respectful treatment in debate (€)