Media Reporting on the Schilderswijk: Expert Meeting Organised by BBIS
28 October 2026, 19:00–21:00
The Dutch network of the Anna Lindh Foundation participated in the BBIS organised expert meeting about media reporting about the multicultural Schilderswijk in The Hague. Many people living here have their roots in countries from the southern Mediterranean. A substantial number of media were represented.
Media are unable to present a complete picture in their reporting which risks misinterpretations by people who do not know the context. Negative news, such as the riots after the last World Cup soccer match between Morocco and France, sadly attracts more attention than positive news. Muslim groups, in particular, have been misrepresented by trouble seekers which in turn has been picked up by media with the risk of stereotyping. Mistakes are made due to enormous time pressures to present media online.
Better direct contacts between media professionals and local contact people could help reduce misreporting. Police reports after the riots reported the number of arrests but did not mention that about half of those taken into police custody came from outside the neighbourhood. Explaining this in police statements would help reduce stigmatization.
