Project Free newspaper rolls out in North Brabant and Zeeland

Community centres in the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Zeeland can now request a free regional daily newspaper. Starting in November, this means visitors to local village and neighbourhood centres will have access to a newspaper. This two-year pilot is a collaboration between the Provincial Councils and DPG Media. The launch was formalised today—on National Neighbours’ Day—at the community centre MCF Oelbroeck in Sint Anthonis (Brabant) and the village centre 't Zuudènde in Kerkwerve (Zeeland).

Four provinces now participating

The provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel already launched this initiative in April, resulting in hundreds of shared village and neighbourhood centres now receiving a regional newspaper daily. DPG Media provides the newspapers at a reduced rate. These are DPG Media’s regional titles that are widely read in the area, such as Eindhovens Dagblad, PZC, or De Gelderlander.

The importance of local news

By bringing news to places where many people gather, residents can read the newspaper in a central location in their village or town, gaining easy access to reliable information. This helps ensure that lower-income Dutch citizens remain involved in their community and stay informed about local news.

Allard Besse, Director of the AD and Regional Newspapers at DPG Media, comments: "It is great that more and more provinces are embracing this initiative. By making newspapers available in village and community centres, we bring news even closer to the people. Together, we are bridging the growing literacy gap and the divide in news consumption."

Research by Radboud University

Previous research by Radboud University Nijmegen has shown that people feel more connected to their local environment by reading a regional newspaper. They become better informed about regional developments, leading to greater social engagement.

With this project, DPG Media aims to make a social contribution by making news accessible to as many people as possible, including Dutch citizens who lack the financial means. It is therefore our wish that more provinces and cities join this initiative.