Dutch news provider gives out free newspaper subscriptions to students

The initiative was launched on Tuesday at the Media College in Amsterdam and the journalism programme at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle. In these two occasions, students, editors-in-chief and academics discussed how to bring young people and journalism closer together. One of the recommendations was to use shorter texts and more photos and videos.

DPG says its decision to allow students to access the digital versions of its newspapers for free is a response to "young people's declining interest in news platforms" and their "increasing exposure to disinformation on social media". In doing so, the publisher hopes to "remove the barrier to quality journalism".

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According to the media company, this is an important move, especially with the elections approaching. All vocational, higher professional and university students in the Netherlands between the ages of 16 and 25 can now use their student card to apply for a free digital subscription to all DPG news brands. This includes not only national newspapers, but also local ones such as Het Parool, Brabants Dagblad and Tubantia.

The company also intends to make the news more accessible to young people in other ways. It says it is working on "new forms of journalism that suit this target group."