'Die wit man altyd baas wees'. De beeldvorming van de apartheid in Zuid-Afrika door Trouw en de Volkskrant in de periode 1948-1994

'The white man has always been the boss.' The representation of apartheid in South Africa by the newspapers Trouw and de Volkskrant in the period 1948-1994.

Apartheid, the official system of racial segregation, was the feature of South African society between 1948 and 1994. The racial issue did not remain unnoticed in the Netherlands and different views polarized public opinion. In this study, the Dutch newspapers Trouw and de Volkskrant are studied as indicators of public perceptions of apartheid. It analyzes from which perspective the newspapers constructed their images of apartheid. The image reconstructions focus on political developments in South Africa. The research is also based on the historical and social relations between the Netherlands and South Africa. During the first years of apartheid the newspapers had different views, however, over time their opinions became more and more similar. Moreover, it turns out that Dutch involvement in the racial issues was not reported critically.