Extreme right and anti-extreme right media in Flanders

This contribution looks at extreme right and anti - extreme right media in Flanders, the Dutch speaking North of Belgium. Because the success of the Flemish Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest, VB) far exceeds that of the extreme right in the French-speaking South of the country and because the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking public sphere are quite separate, this contribution is limited to Flanders.

Both sides complain about the mainstream media. Put crudely: for the VB the mainstream media are left wing, politically correct, and controlled by the political establishment; for the anti-extreme right they the VB too much like a normal party. Both parties develop strategies to get access to mainstream media and have links to more alternative media, but also communicate through their own media and public events.