It’s HBVL’s birthday and you’re celebrating: “New app, free e-books and 10,000 vouchers” (Hasselt)

Half of Limburg was illiterate, French was the official language and the Catholics dictated the law. Against this social background, Nicolaas Theelen printed the first edition of Het Algemeen Belang der Provincie Limburg, the forerunner of Het Belang van Limburg, on December 6, 1879 in Bilzen.

Today, 145 years later, the newspaper is part of the Mediahuis group, with more than thirty news brands in five countries. And in addition to the paper newspaper, there is also the website, app, podcasts and video.

Would Nicolaas Theelen still recognize HBVL today?

Indra Dewitte, editor-in-chief: “I think he would be proud. He started the newspaper because he believed that Limburgers also had the right to reliable daily news. And that is exactly what we still strive for today. Moreover, in all our history we have never reached more people than we do today: more than half a million per day. And of all Limburgers who read a newspaper, almost 82 percent read ours. That’s huge.”

Koen Verwee, CEO Mediahuis Belgium: “I think Nicolaas Theelen would be most shocked by the speed at which we work today. An editorial team works day and night and if something happens, it is known throughout Limburg five minutes later. Combined with the extensive options we have – text, photo, video, audio and podcast – this makes us much faster and more impactful for our readers.”

Today, Het Belang van Limburg is no longer primarily a paper newspaper?

Verwe: “We focus very much on digital because that is where we need to grow further and that is where our future lies. That does not mean that the paper newspaper is no longer important. We still try to make very good newspapers and still reach a lot of readers.”

“We must continue to emphasize: regional journalism cannot be a regional sauce, but it must remain our DNA”

Indra Dewitte

Editor-in-chief HBVL

Dewitte: “I often say that in the editorial office. We have to do what we became journalists for: explaining difficult issues, telling great stories, but also exposing things that stink. The same reasons why the newspaper was founded back then. It doesn’t really matter which platform we do this on. You should also not lose sight of the fact that digital has many advantages. For example, the photo quality is better. And when there were problems with the paper supply during the corona crisis, we were happy that we still had the digital channel.”

Newspaper distribution will be transferred from bpost to private companies. Will our readers still receive their paper newspaper on time every day?

Verwee: “That is absolutely the intention. AMP will take over distribution in Limburg. We assume that this will be done with the necessary quality. Guarantees have also been agreed on this. That does not mean that it is not a major change and that it will take some time before everything runs smoothly again.”

What are the biggest challenges for Het Belang van Limburg in the digital revolution?

Verwe: “By shifting from paper to digital, your entire business model also changes. The biggest challenge is advertising revenue. Because digitally we only have a fraction of the advertising revenue that we had in the paper newspaper. Because in the digital world you have competition from large platforms such as Facebook or Google. In addition, we must make our digital subscriptions valuable enough that people are willing to pay enough for them.”

Our app will soon be getting a new look?

Dewitte: “Digitally you have access to the entire world, but as a reader you sometimes can’t see the forest for the trees. Just like the paper newspaper, we must also remain a reliable guide digitally. That is why it is important that we also offer the recognizable environment of the paper newspaper online. Now we have a separate newspaper app, where you can, as it were, browse the paper newspaper online, and a news app, with a never-ending stream of news. In 2025 we will release a new, improved app that will bring the two together and also integrate our podcast. The great thing about the app is that you can also offer gifts in it. Our readers can now use the RouteYou walking and cycling app for free, which normally costs you 35.99 euros per year. And from next year, as a subscriber you will receive two e-books in the app for free every month.”

We are now part of the Mediahuis group. Does this have consequences for the uniqueness of Het Belang van Limburg?

Dewitte: “We shouldn’t be shy about that: we could never have done what we are doing now, such as developing that new app, on our own. Personally, I think it is very important that Mediahuis has emphasized from the beginning that they attach great importance to diversity in the media landscape and the strength of regional titles.”

Regional journalism is under pressure. For example, the VRT has canceled its provincial morning broadcasts.

Dewitte: “That’s because it is an expensive form of journalism. We must continue to emphasize: regional journalism cannot be a regional sauce, but it must remain our DNA. Michel Dylst’s multimillion-dollar fraud, the scandals in Sint-Truiden or the possible cheating by Tony Coonen of De Voorzorg: none of it would have come to light if we had not dug our teeth into it. This regional watchdog function remains very important.”

“If we continue to inform people well, provide explanations and respond to what is going on here, Het Belang van Limburg will easily reach its bicentenary”

Koen Verwee

CEO Mediahuis Belgium

Verwee: “At Mediahuis we very much believe in local relevance. With less regional journalism we would lose many subscribers. It is the core and strength of HBVL and we must absolutely continue to release the necessary resources for it.”

Dewitte: “We have to focus on our region, but we cannot be navel-gazers. That is why we have also set up a regional investigative journalism arm. Or think of the citizen research that we do together with knowledge institutions such as Hasselt University and with which we have recently won prizes. (for research into soil life, ed.). That makes us unique and it is relevant to our readers.”

How do you see the future for the newspaper?

Verwe: “When you do research into what young people want for news, one of the top answers is always: give me information about my own neighborhood. This appears to apply to all age groups. If we continue to inform people well, provide explanations and respond to what is going on here, Het Belang van Limburg will easily reach its bicentenary.”

Dewitte: “We know that we are part of society and have a role to play here. As a watchdog but also as a glue in the community. A news brand cannot have a better name than ours: in the interest of Limburg. We have to tell the beautiful stories but also be critical when necessary. If we can make that happen, we will still be around in 145 years. Although it may be without us.” (laughs)

Finally: wouldn’t a party be without a present?

Dewitte: “That’s right. Because we are blowing out 145 candles, we have ten thousand vouchers of 14.5 euros available for our readers that they can use in our webshop on December 6. Because the fact that we can celebrate this anniversary is solely thanks to them.”