By Leigh Edwards | Observer Contributor
On October 27, Tineke Floris spoke in Professor Sue Goldsteins Journalism class to about her Profession her perception on the news and media in the Netherlands.
Floris is an ESL teacher in the Netherlands for adults 18- 60. Many of her students are refugees, mainly from Iraq and Somalia, who hope to become citizens of the Netherlands. In order for someone to become a citizen of the Netherlands, Floris informed the class that one must learn the Dutch language through taking ESL classes at least five hours a week.
Floris said, “Most refugees are illiterate. They need to learn how to read and write in a different language. It’s very hard.” Once her students have taken and passed the citizenship test, they must still take classes on the Dutch language every week.
Floris also talked heavily with the class on how the news and media are perceived in the Netherlands. She informed the class that the news and media seem to be extremely accurate, even in the tabloids, which is a far cry from tabloids that are seen and read in the United States. “A lot of people are reading tabloid papers in the Netherlands, and yes they’re accurate, some just tell it in a different way,” said Floris.
Most people from the Netherlands believe that what is being put out there on newsstands, on TV, and online is true and accurate as well as timely. “I trust them, yes. Media is becoming very big, and they also have more power now,” said Floris. Even with the financial crisis in Europe, Floris feels The Dutch news and media are keeping their citizens accurately informed about what exactly is going on, and the steps they’re taking to fix it.
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