Karel Verhoeven

Speaker
Moderator
Dutch
Photo of Karel Verhoeven

Who is Karel Verhoeven?

Karel has been chief editor at De Standaard since 2010. This role allows him to set the tone at this flagship of journalism in Flanders. These are very exciting times in the world of journalism. News media are being transformed and platforms are changing, but journalism is also becoming more fragmented. What can newspapers say about the world that users will want to read on the screens of their smartphones? Verhoeven believes this is not a technological question; it goes right to the heart of the journalistic mission. What is worth investigating and what is the best way to convey this?

Journalism must honour its public role, says Verhoeven. But, first and foremost, journalism is also a profession for him. And he has now been in this field for over 20 years, even though he ‘stumbled into it almost accidentally’. Via De Gentenaar and later Het Nieuwsblad, to the culture desk at De Standaard.

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    Long live newspapers

    We have been hearing it for years: “The writing’s on the wall for newspapers.” But that couldn't be further from the truth. Despite free news websites, which are able to deliver news faster, and electronic newspapers on mobile devices, Flemish readers continue to buy traditional newspapers. How long will newspapers remain on paper? And how long will people continue to pay for newspapers? Is high quality journalism still possible in a world where everything is fast and free? And what do readers really want?

    Chief editor at De Standaard, Karel Verhoeven, explains the new challenges that newspapers are facing. He will inform you about international trends, highlight how newspapers can operate in harmony with new media and explain why journalism must improve if it wants to have a future.

    What influence does the media have on society?

    The media is regarded as the fourth estate, but to what extent does it fulfil this role? Is the free market destroying high-quality journalism, are all traditional media doomed, or are enough readers prepared to pay for better journalism? Is it the role of the media to guide public debate, and how must it do this? What role does the media play in a democracy? Should the media have political opinions, or even a political slant? Do free news sites point to a trend, and will newspapers only publish articles with sex appeal from now on? You will hear this and a whole lot more, from the chief editor of a quality newspaper, Karel Verhoeven.

Karel Verhoeven effectively controlled and moderated the debate about the (added) value of a doctorate in the non-academic labour market. He asked critical questions and challenged the panel members to go into greater detail.

Chiara San Giorgi

UGent

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Karel Verhoeven as moderator? I would definitely recommend him!
The discussions in advance, the layout of the hall, the debate itself and the questions afterwards: Karel Verhoeven was a major factor in the success of the Postdoc Community debate with HR managers (3/12/15)! Karel asked incisive questions, gave speakers plenty of time to respond but also challenged them. He was perfect at involving the audience in the debate and managed to fulfil the objective that the organisers had established for the session. I would recommend him to everyone! Thank you, Karel!

Lieve Van Hoof

Chairman Ghent University Postdoc Community