#Outrage #rude #statements #Mart #Smeets #happened #Media
Statements by Mart Smeets in Out of view have caused a lot of commotion. The statements of the former NOS celebrity in the NTR documentary, which focuses on the work culture in Hilversum, are called, among other things, “rude and intimidating”. This is what happened.
It started with the article that de Volkskrant published in March 2023 about abuses at the editorial staff of NOS Sport. In total, almost two hundred complaints have been submitted by employees, former employees and other involved parties about the working atmosphere in the sports editorial office. These were not only about bullying behavior and (sexual) intimidation, but also about discrimination and verbal aggression.
Leaders such as Tom Egbers and Jack van Gelder are said to have been guilty of misconduct in several cases. Egbers announced that he would not appear on television for the time being, Van Gelder stuck to the apology he had previously offered.
Aïcha Marghadi presented it for several years from 2010 onwards NOS Sports Journal. She was one of 32 people interviewed for the revealing article de Volkskrant. In it, Marghadi shares her negative experiences with Egbers, Van Gelder and Smeets.
The latter would have humiliated her when she came to introduce herself. “I reached out and introduced myself. He stared at me and my hand, grabbed it, looked around at colleagues and said, ‘What do we do with this?'” she said.
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Smeets says he no longer remembers anything about Marghadi
The NOS commissioned an independent study into the work culture within the organization, which was published in November. The research showed that employees experience undesirable behavior and undesirable forms of communication.
Smeets responded in the NPO1 talk show Khalid & Sophie on the research results. The former sports presenter stated in the broadcast that he had never behaved inappropriately. “That’s not possible, because I’m not like that. That’s not in me,” he stated. Smeets also said that he could not remember the incident with Marghadi. “In fact, I don’t remember her at all. I don’t think I was even there.”
On X, Marghadi responded to Smeets’ television appearance. In a message she wrote that the trio Smeets, Egbers and Van Gelder led “the entire racist, intimidating and humiliating power culture”. Marghadi had not planned to respond to the NOS investigation, but now said she could not remain silent.
“It was after the lunch broadcast around 1:30 p.m. and the editors were standing there,” she wrote about the incident with Smeets. According to her, it was also included in the confidential counselor’s report and the editor-in-chief was informed about it at the time.
“Of course one remembers nothing. And that is easy, because who am I?”, wrote Marghadi. She called on NOS Sport leaders Smeets, Van Gelder and Egbers to stop lying about their alleged role in inappropriate behavior in the workplace.
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Meeting with Marghadi is again a topic of discussion
Smeets was recently asked again about the meeting with Marghadi. For the documentary Out of view Coen Verbraak spoke with various editors and presenters about the work culture in Hilversum. NTR made the documentary in response to the Van Rijn committee’s report on abuses at NPO, which was presented last week.
When Verbraak asks about Marghadi’s experiences, Smeets makes it clear that he does not appreciate it. “I can’t remember and I can’t imagine this was said. I think it’s a non-topic for this program, that’s it,” Smeets responded. “I’m quite courteous to women.”
The former sports presenter’s response caused a lot of commotion and outrage. In the radio program Speech makers Former Talpa boss Paul Römer called Smeets’ statements “rude and intimidating”. “This was a standard example of the behavior we are all talking about. I found it shocking,” said Römer.
According to NTR, Smeets has now apologized to the makers of the documentary. “He is shocked by his own reaction to Coen’s questions,” the broadcaster said. Smeets himself could not be reached for comment. NTR has announced that it will not make any changes to the broadcast. Fragments from the broadcast have now been shared hundreds of thousands of times on social media.
