UTRECHT, the Netherlands, September 17 /PRNewswire/ --     NRC Handelsblad launched its English language website
nrc.nl/international on Tuesday, 16 September. The target group of the new
site are foreigners who cannot read Dutch but who are interested in Dutch
quality journalism. A selection of news items, background articles, features
and opinion articles about Dutch subjects with a cross-border interest will
be published daily on nrc.nl/international. Subjects could be, for instance,
the military mission in Uruzgan, the debates on integration and European
issues, cultural and scientific developments, major infrastructure projects
such as waterworks, and news about multinational companies and the royal
family. The impact from abroad on the Netherlands of such issues as the
American elections and Brussels will also be subjects for the English
language reporting.

As well as news, background and opinion articles, nrc.nl/international
will publish a discussion forum concentrating on current issues to which
prominent Dutch nationals who are also well-known abroad will contribute,
such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Geert Wilders and State Secretary Frans Timmermans
(European Affairs). Maarten Rijkens, ex-top man from Heineken and author of
the successful book 'I always get my sin. Het bizarre Engels van
Nederlanders' (The bizarre English of the Dutch) will contribute a language
section. Finally, readers will be given an overview of international (English
language) news sources and blogs from prominent opinion formers. Chief editor
Birgit Donker says: "We want to take part in the international debate with
this site and secure a place in the public domain in Europe."

Nrc.nl/international will be launched in collaboration with Spiegel
Online, the most respected German news site, which is affiliated to the
magazine Der Spiegel. This site has an extensive English language section and
already has partnerships with other prominent international publications such
as the websites of the International Herald Tribune, BusinessWeek and The New
York Times. NRC is its first European partner. Both sites will exchange
articles weekly in order to give their subjects a European dimension and will
develop journalistic projects together.

A second partner of nrc.nl/international is DutchNews.nl. This is a still
young but successful website run by two experienced British journalists. The
editors of DutchNews.nl will take on the journalistic translation work and
final editing for nrc.nl/international. Robin Pascoe, one of the initiators
of DutchNews.nl says: "DutchNews.nl shares the vision of NRC that there are
still many untapped possibilities for English language quality journalism
about the Netherlands. We are proud to form part of this innovative
initiative. The two English language websites will enrich and complement each
other."

NRC aims to strengthen its international profile with the launching of
nrc.nl/international and the partnerships and consolidate the position of
nrc.nl as the most important website for quality journalism.