Format 41.5 cm x 28 cm Editor-in-chief Peter Vandermeersch Political alignment Liberalism | Owner(s) Mediahuis Founded 1970 by merger | |
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Type Daily newspaper (no Sunday edition) | ||
NRC Handelsblad ( [ɛnɛrseː ˈɦɑndəlzblɑt]), often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media.
Contents
History
NRC Handelsblad was first published on 1 October 1970 after a merger of the Amsterdam newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad (founded 1828 by J.W. van den Biesen) and the Rotterdam Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant (founded 1844 by Henricus Nijgh). The paper's motto is Lux et Libertas – Light (referring to the Age of Enlightenment) and Freedom.
In February 2006, NRC Handelsblad started a morning newspaper, nrc•next, to attract educated readers who do not read a newspaper every day. Editor Folkert Jensma was succeeded on 12 December 2006, by Birgit Donker. After a dispute with the new owners Donker had to step down on 26 April 2010 and was replaced by Belgian Peter Vandermeersch.
On 7 March 2011 the paper changed its format from broadsheet to tabloid. The circulation of NRC Handelsblad in 2014 was 188,500 copies, putting it in 4th place among the national dailies.
In 2015 the NRC Media group was acquired by the Belgian company Mediahuis.
Character
While considered one of the Dutch national quality newspapers next to de Volkskrant and Trouw, NRC Handelsblad sees itself as the most internationally oriented of those three, and has been labeled left liberal.
Journalists
Journalists who work or have worked for NRC Handelsblad include: Henk Hofland, Hans van Mierlo, Marc Chavannes, Geert Mak, Karel van Wolferen, Jérôme Louis Heldring, Joris Luyendijk, Marjon van Royen, Derk Jan Eppink, Adriaan van Dis, Ben Knapen.