On 3rd May, it's International Press Freedom Day. One day earlier, on 2nd May 2025, VUB, ULB, Erasmus Hogeschool, and Bozar will host the tenth edition of Difference Day at the Bozar arts centre. As always, the event will focus on freedom of expression and press freedom—issues that are more urgent than ever, according to journalist Karl van den Broeck. “Press freedom is under pressure. Even in democracies, it has become common to dismiss journalists as disguised activists or purveyors of fake news.”
The idea for Difference Day originated with the late Caroline Pauwels, a former honorary rector at VUB, and Bozar eagerly joined the initiative. Karl van den Broeck, who oversees a debate platform at Bozar exploring intersections between art, politics, economics, and science, recalls its inception vividly. Pointing to a table in the corner of Café Victor at Bozar, he says: “It’s been ten years, but I can still picture us sitting there. Caroline said she wanted to do something for International Press Freedom Day, a United Nations and UNESCO initiative. A ‘debate or something’, she said. As usual, Paul Dujardin from Bozar thought bigger. We quickly brought together a consortium of partners, who’ve supported Difference Day ever since, with backing from UNESCO and the European Parliament.”
What do you remember about that first edition in 2015?
“I remember we invited economist Julia Cagé, Thomas Piketty’s partner, who had just published a book on alternative funding models for the media. The first Honorary Title was awarded to Saudi Arabian writer and activist Raif Badawi, who had recently been sentenced to flogging and imprisonment. He served ten years in jail."
“The Honorary Title, along with the honorary doctorates that followed, has been a staple of the programme for the past decade. We invite the laureates to participate in a session called Meet The Journalist. That’s not always possible—sometimes the recipients are still in prison. Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Maltese journalist who was critical of her government, received the award posthumously after being killed by a car bomb. The situation for the press continues to deteriorate. How many journalists have recently been killed in Gaza alone?”
The importance of an event like Difference Day is immediately apparent.
“Journalists, along with artists, are always the first to face attacks in authoritarian regimes. Increasingly, democracies suffer from the same malaise. It’s fashionable to portray journalists as out-of-touch individuals, spreaders of fake news, or disguised activists. As if public debate should be reserved solely for politicians.”
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Is the independence of the press under pressure here as well?
“Yes, and Caroline Pauwels recognised that early on. She always emphasised the importance of tolerating disagreement. Thanks to her approach, Difference Day has never been hijacked by any particular ideology. We’ve grown into an event where the journalism sector reflects on itself—which is very healthy—and one that, despite limited resources, also manages to appeal to a broader audience.”
As the editor-in-chief of the investigative journalism platform Apache.be, you’ve had your own experience with pressure and intimidation. You faced a series of lawsuits over critical articles about property developments in Antwerp.
“We were accused of defamation and invasion of privacy, but we were acquitted on all counts. The court, right up to the Supreme Court, affirmed the public interest of our investigative journalism. But it took seven years of legal battles and numerous SLAPP lawsuits to get there. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. Honestly, I’m sick of hearing the term. These lawsuits are designed to intimidate, silence, or financially ruin their targets. In our case, hundreds of thousands of euros were demanded.”
How does that affect someone personally?
“At first, I was a bit cynical about it: the more complaints, the more attention for Apache, and the more readers we’d gain. Against our will, we were cast as a kind of Robin Hood figure. But the novelty wore off quickly. It’s incredibly intimidating because you’re personally summoned to court. At one point, a bailiff came to my home. Thankfully, we had professional liability insurance, two brilliant lawyers, and a benefit event organised by Wouter Deprez to help us stay afloat financially. The real emotional toll came after the final acquittal. Only then did I realise how close we had come to losing everything.”
Seven years later, it still lingers?
“What angers me most is that the accusations against us never entirely go away. A portion of the public still believes there must have been some truth to them—that we’re a ‘defamatory outlet’. You also end up sidelined. People who used to chat with me at events started avoiding me. Some even asked me not to like their posts on LinkedIn. Since then, I haven’t been invited back to VRT, even though I used to appear on the precursor to De Afspraak almost weekly.”
Is it some consolation that you’ve not only faced criticism but have also received numerous awards?
“It does mean a lot. Perhaps the most gratifying was the VVOJ Vliegwiel Award from the Flemish-Dutch Association of Investigative Journalists because it’s awarded by fellow investigative journalists.”
In your acceptance speech, you said that all good journalism is essentially investigative journalism.
“That’s true. Investigative journalism is much broader than people often think. Most associate it only with exposing scandals, but it also includes other forms. For instance, there’s accountability journalism, where you examine whether politicians or business leaders have delivered on their promises—this is done far too rarely. Similarly, there’s advocacy journalism, which is more ideologically driven. A progressive outlet, for example, might showcase individuals with innovative, forward-thinking ideas to tackle today’s problems.”
Instead of investigative journalism, we’re drowning in trivial stories and clickbait videos.
“The mundane fait divers is being elevated to news, and that’s a worrying trend. A man falling into a canal is a freak accident, not the result of any structural issue. Such sensational tidbits are eagerly consumed, but they foster fear and helplessness. This has political consequences, as far-right parties thrive on fear.”
"You can’t follow local politics through the newspapers anymore, it’s impossible."
And yet, statistics show that crime continues to decrease.
“Exactly. But the perception of insecurity keeps rising. Social media bears much of the blame, but traditional media are complicit too. They focus too little on the public good. In the past, De Standaard described its mission as serving ‘Political, Social, and Economic Interests.’ Now, the disproportionate focus on crime is striking. Where once Belga sent correspondents to every municipal council meeting, they now camp out in courtrooms, reporting on even the smallest infractions.”
Has local journalism lost its edge?
“Far more so than national journalism. Despite their challenges, we still have De Standaard, De Morgen, De Tijd, Knack... Hats off to the colleagues fighting to maintain quality journalism there. But locally, it’s a disaster. You can’t follow local politics through the papers anymore—it’s impossible. Politicians only appear when they’re cutting ribbons—or getting involved in scandals.”
Your father, author Walter van den Broeck, was a local journalist in his day.
“For twenty years, he ran Turnhout Express, a free weekly that was a precursor to De Streekkrant. Turnhout was then a stronghold of the CVP party. The city’s three-time CVP mayor, Marcel Hendrickx, once said that Turnhout Express, along with Eric Antonis’ work at the cultural centre De Warande, broke the CVP’s grip on power in the city. Not by being overtly political, but simply by giving column space to all political voices, including the party Stad voor de Mens, a precursor to Agalev. That resulted in two green representatives—the first in Belgium.”
What role can citizens play?
“They can set up their own local media. Apache is a cooperative with 2,200 shareholders, each with one vote in the general assembly. We generate 80 to 90 per cent of our income from our 7,000 subscriptions and single-issue sales. You don’t need deep pockets to start a media outlet. It’s entirely possible to be self-sustaining. Every mid-sized city could create its own Apache. It could be primarily online, with occasional print publications—even print-on-demand is now very affordable.”
A perfect challenge for aspiring journalism students?
“Many young journalists intern at major outlets and come away thinking, ‘This isn’t how I want to work.’ They go on to launch their own online channels, podcasts, or similar ventures. They’re seeking authenticity. These new, cooperative ways of working might offer a path forward.”
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