Council for Journalism Reprimands NRC for Lack of Response in Article on Legal Abuse

The Dutch Council for Journalism has upheld its earlier reprimand of NRC newspaper for insufficient opportunity for a response in an article published July 11, 2025. The article, titled 'Her ex keeps suing her, at the state's expense,' detailed the situation of Nadia, who is entangled in legal proceedings initiated by her ex-partner, the father of her children.

According to the report, Nadia's ex-partner is eligible for legal aid, while she is burdened with covering her own attorney fees. NRC had argued that due to the article's genre, the available evidence, and the ex-partner's statements at a disciplinary hearing, a further interview was unnecessary. However, the Council found that NRC did not provide a proper opportunity for the man to respond to the specific allegations made in the article, even if he was only identifiable within a small circle due to anonymization.

NRC had requested a review of the decision, which was partially granted. While a separate complaint regarding the dissemination of confidential information by the reporter was deemed unfounded after the review, the core issue of inadequate journalistic response remained. The Council clarified that in cases where a complainant's evidence is insufficient, the complaint should be dismissed as unfounded, as the burden of proof lies entirely with the complainant.

Despite the main editorial board stating they still believe they met the requirements for a journalistic response, NRC respects the Council's decision. A response section has since been added to the article.