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The current Flemish news landscape

This article is part of News

In Flanders, you can consult various media to stay up to date with the news. Traditionally this was done via newspapers, tv or radio, but these days there are also podcasts, websites and apps. However, that doesn’t mean that the Flemish news landscape is very fractionated. On the contrary: many news media are part of the same media group. Discover the details here.

Highly concentrated

The media landscape in Flanders is highly concentrated. The yearly report by the Flemish Regulator for News Media (VRM) shows that 80 to 100% of the market is currently in the hands of 5 media groups: VRT, DPG Media, Mediahuis, Roularta and Telenet (with its subsidiary De Vijver Media).

Knowing which news media are owned by which companies is an important aspect of news literacy. Media concentration means newsrooms can be joined together, which can lead to one-sided reporting from media within the same group. That’s why it’s a good idea to consult news media from various groups.

5 major media groups

The 5 major media groups each own various media. Here you can find the most prominent (news) media for each group:

  • Newspapers and magazines: De Morgen, HLN, Humo, Dag Allemaal, Story, Feeling
  • Tv: VTM
  • Radio: Qmusic, Joe
  • News websites, apps and social media: those belonging to the brands above
  • Newspapers: De Standaard, Het Nieuwsblad, Gazet Van Antwerpen, Het Belang van Limburg
  • Tv: ATV, TVL, TV OOST, ROB-tv
  • Radio: Nostalgie, NRJ
  • Podcasts: Sjotcast, DS Audio
  • News websites, apps and social media: those belonging to the brands above
  • Newspapers and magazines: De Tijd, KW De Krant van West-Vlaanderen, De Zondag, De Streekkrant, Steps, Knack, Trends, Sport/Voetbalmagazine
  • Tv: KanaalZ, RingTV
  • News websites, apps and social media: those belonging to the brands above
  • Tv: Play4, Play5, Play6, Play7 (no news via these stations)
  • Tv: Eén, Canvas, Ketnet
  • Radio: Radio 1, Radio 2, StuBru, MNM, Klara
  • News websites, apps and social media: VRT NWS, Sporza and those belonging to the brands above

Other news media

Besides the big, well-known news media, there are plenty of smaller or independent news media in Flanders that are not part of a major group. In many cases, these are aimed at specific target audiences (eg. younger people or those with a specific political leaning). They are often quite dependent on subscribers or subsidies, and their existence is precarious.

Many smaller news media these days are only or mostly active online. They unite under Media.21, an umbrella organisation that represents many digital media. Among its members are Apache, DeWereldMorgen, Doorbraak, Newsmonkey, Rekto:Verso, StampMedia and Mo*/Mo.be. Other examples of independent news media include TAGMAG and PAL NWS.

The role of the public broadcaster

The high concentration of the Flemish media landscape does not necessarily diminish its quality. VRT plays an important role in this: it is one of the most subsidised public broadcasters in Europe, and it is given a lot of freedom by the government. This has always allowed VRT to play a leading role in our media ecosystem. 

With an independent editorial board, extensive contextual programming and multiple news bulletins each day, our public broadcaster has set the tone for other news channels. This helps keep the quality high in Flanders and stimulates other media to invest in a high-quality news offering.

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Published on 29 November 2023