Two new editors-in-chief are being appointed at VRT NEWS: Stijn Verhaaren becomes editor-in-chief Foreign Affairs and Luc van Bakel becomes editor-in-chief Research & Check. The 2 have been working in managerial positions at VRT NEWS for some time.
In mid-February, VRT NEWS's news leadership team announced a new structure for its own operations. Until now editors-in-chief were mainly assigned by medium: radio, tv and online. In future 3 editors-in-chief will focus on content and journalistic choices within their domain.
In February it became clear that Griet De Craen will remain as general editor-in-chief, Steven Samyn becomes editor-in-chief Home news, Elke Jacobs editor-in-chief VRT Offerings and Dimitri Verbrugge editor-in-chief Talent. Now the News leadership team is being completed with Stijn Verhaaren, editor-in-chief Foreign News and Luc van Bakel, editor-in-chief Research & Check.
Stijn Verhaaren
Stijn Verhaaren started his VRT career in 2000 working on the radio programme “Voor de dag” on Radio 1. He then spent two years as a journalist at the sports department. He transferred to TV News and Het Journaal as a reporter in 2004 and became its editor. Stijn was responsible for election broadcasts in 2018, 2019 and 2024 and helped shape VRT NEWS's Late newscast in 2021.
‘It is a privilege to take up the position of editor-in-chief at VRT NWS,’ Verhaaren said. 'The world is creaking at the seams and people are looking for footing and reliable information. Providing the many confusing news stories with context and interpretation is one of our main tasks. Together with all the fantastic staff at the news service, I want to help ensure that everyone can come to us for reliable and factually correct news that matters - so that people can better understand the world.'
Luc van Bakel
Luc van Bakel has worked at VRT since 2015. Since 2021, as editor and coordinator, he helped build the VRT NEWS check editorial team, co-developed the “nws check” label and was at the cradle of the radio programme and podcast “Het uur van de waarheid” on Radio 1. Before that, he served as news manager and regional manager at Radio2 Antwerp and Radio2 Vlaams-Brabant respectively.
‘In a rapidly changing digital world, a news brand can today make a difference thanks to its solid investigative journalism,’ says Van Bakel. 'VRT NEWS, as a public broadcaster, plays a unique role, in raising social issues, fighting online scams and sharing tips and tricks on how to verify information yourself to distinguish fake from real. Over the next few years, we want not only to increase our offerings but also get them to the widest and most diverse audience possible.'
The revamped News leadership team will start on Monday, 19 May.