The program, launched in 1992, was a continuation of the Brandpunt Special Report series. It began as a current affairs documentary series but over the years evolved into what was effectively the first groundbreaking investigative journalism program on Dutch television.

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In a report to the KRO management, I advocated for a platform dedicated to investigative journalism—uncovering facts, turning over stones. I warned in advance that this could bring us into conflict with “the establishment.”

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I predicted that scrutinizing the integrity of democratic governance would be anything but risk-free. I also noted that, in some respects, KRO itself belonged to that very establishment. Yet director Gerard Hulshof gave me full freedom to proceed.

As editor-in-chief, I was able to invest in top-tier journalists who, sometimes through months of in-depth research, brought revealing news stories to light. I mention with honor Steven de Vogel and Ton F. van Dijk—intelligent terriers who had already made names for themselves at VPRO and Vrij Nederland.

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The result was memorable television. Revelations included, among others, the extraordinary salary of Amsterdam’s police commissioner Nordholt; the Brinkman affair (the CDA leader turned out to be a board member of a fraudulent company); the Bolkestein affair (how the VVD leader used “Dear Els” notes to influence a minister—dependent on him politically—while serving as commissioner of a pharmaceutical company). We reconstructed how former Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers was blocked by his German counterpart, Helmut Kohl, in his attempt to become President of the European Commission. We also uncovered how a prominent German scientist with a Nazi past had built a career under a false name and was exposed by our team. These are just a few examples of our news-making broadcasts.

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As editor-in-chief, I embarked on an educational journey. Investigative journalism is a field in its own right. It demands a near-scholarly approach and strategic insight. Consulting sources in the right order is essential to avoid leaks that could derail a story before publication.

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I thoroughly enjoyed working with De Vogel and Van Dijk, and the growing circle of researchers around us. They were exemplary practitioners of top-level journalism. Ton and Steven often worked as a duo, which in this branch of journalism offered the advantage of mutual correction and encouragement.

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But they were also strong-willed personalities—difficult at times, with their own agendas, including in relation to me as the one ultimately responsible. Internally and externally, Reporter became a masterclass in strategic thinking and leadership.

The program regularly stirred national storms, but I always managed to steer the ship safely into harbor. Never was the show caught in inaccuracies or miscalculations. Several years later—by then working at Zembla (Vara)—Steven de Vogel passed away. I remember him as the finest journalist ever to have worked in Hilversum.

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To this day, I look back with pride on the body of work we created during that period. It was journalism of the highest order, driven by sincerely engaged professionals, and it has paved the way for the genre on television—from Zembla to Nieuwsuur.