The NVJ and various media companies are angry that journalists have to pay if they want to report on the Lowlands Music Festival. This is the so-called charity fee of 10 euros. Concert organizer Mojo says the money will be given to charity.

“A very wrong signal,” according to the NVJ. “A journalist must be able to do his job without any consideration,” says General Secretary Thomas Brüning. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a football match, a political discussion, or a festival.”

The ANP news agency does not intend to pay, Editor-in-Chief Freak Stubbs tells Philmedia trade magazine. According to Staps, ANP journalists do not pay for access to sources or events. He believes it is still too early to consider boycotting the festival. “We are confident that Lowlands is reversing these terms.”

NRC editors believe that journalists should be able to do their work without having to pay for it. “In the case of Lowlands, at least two journalists and photographers would have to be accredited, at no cost,” says Sandra Smolenberg, deputy editor-in-chief.

NOS also says it will not report if Lowlands sticks to the plans. “NOS doesn’t pay for access to sources, so you can’t even report on an event like Lowlands,” says NOS News Editor-in-Chief Giselle Van Cane. “Free news gathering also means that there is no compensation in any way.”

AD editor-in-chief Rene described it as perhaps remarkable in the paper that Lowland’s free news-gathering “gets in the way in this way”. “It’s precisely those charities that have a stake in the media attention.” It says it will not send any journalists to the event if the organization does indeed continue to pay the charity’s fees.

By the way, charitable fees apply not only to journalists. “It applies to all people who come to the festival as a free guest,” says Pentie Pullman, a spokeswoman for Mojo. Like people from record labels, radio stations or Lowlands partners who get a free pass.

According to Mojo, it is not intended to impede freedom of the press or free news gathering and each journalist or media organization makes its own assessment of whether paying the surcharge is a reason not to report on Lowlands.

“Charity sketches have been popular at American and English festivals for years. Now we’ve done them here, too,” says Pullman.