11/04/2024
Talpa Network is “against any form of racism”. The media company said this in response to statements that Johan Derksen made on Tuesday evening in Today Inside about politician Habtamu de Hoop. There was a lot of discussion about this because the words of the 75-year-old analyst were said to be racist.
“Today Inside is a program in which the presenters and their guests have a large degree of editorial freedom to express their personal opinions and make statements. They do this in the setting of a live talk show, where the content is not coordinated or rehearsed in advance,” says Talpa Network. “The topics of discussion are always inspired by current events. That is the power and vulnerability of this formula.”
“It means that statements are regularly made and reactions arise. These reactions are often discussed in the next broadcast(s) and commented on by the gentlemen or their guests and/or highlighted from multiple angles. That was also the case yesterday,” the media company continues. “For this reason, Talpa Network has chosen to wait for last night’s broadcast and not respond immediately. It goes without saying that we are also against any form of racism.”
The broadcast of Today Inside on Tuesday caused a fuss because Derksen claimed that according to him, De Hoop is not Frisian. De Hoop, born in Ethiopia, grew up in Friesland. De Hoop responded to the controversy with a video on X, after which he received a lot of support from other politicians. Omrop Fryslân reported on Thursday that the MP will not report racism. On Wednesday, Derksen stated in Today Inside that he will not apologize for his statements.
It is not known whether Talpa sat down with Derksen following his statements.
