The first campaign cartoon is by Kwennie Cheng, a member of the Press and Print Foundation.
Members of the Press & Print Foundation (Stichting Pers & Prent), a Dutch cartoonists' organisation that supports political artists and freedom of expression in the Netherlands, joined other media organisations to protest against a proposed tax increase on newspapers and magazines.
The VAT increase from 9% to 21% was proposed in May. NDP Newsmedia, the Dutch Association of Journalists and the Dutch Society of Chief Editors immediately objected. With 33 days to go until Budget Day, the media organisations have teamed up with 33 Dutch artists to create a daily original cartoon or illustration to be used on social media to put pressure on the government to withdraw the tax hike.
NDP Newsmedia warns that if the tax comes into force it will lead many readers to cancel their subscriptions.
Several regional and small titles are at risk of disappearing in the long term and, above all, media with small margins face an uncertain future. This undermines the watchdog function of the free press and jeopardises the plurality of the news landscape.
To see the daily vignette (Monday to Saturday) visit stripdebtw.nl and to join the campaign, the organisers ask supporters to post the vignettes on social media with the hashtag #stripdebtw.
Source: The Daily Cartoonist
The campaign website describes the action as follows:
On this action
With the government's plans to increase VAT on newspapers and magazines, newspapers and magazines will become much more expensive. With a more expensive newspaper, fewer people will have access to quality news. Less financial space is created for editors and, ultimately, the news offer is impoverished.
Is that a bad thing? Yes. History shows that a high tax limits access to quality news, reduces people's connection to what is happening in their region and thus threatens democracy.
Everyone, regardless of their financial means, has the right to be well informed. The media are indispensable for this. So make your voice heard and share the cartoon day. #stripdebtw.
#stripdebtw is an initiative of NDP Nieuwsmedia with the support of the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ), the Press & Print Foundation and the Magazine Media Association (MMA).
Contact: info@commediair.nl
