Marjon van Royen
Encyclopedia
Marjon van Royen is a Dutch journalist and foreign correspondent for the NOS Journaal, the Dutch language
public radio and television news channel.
She started her career as a freelance journalist in Italy in the 1980s. From 1991-2003 she worked for the daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad
, covering national news and the Balkan Wars
(March 1994 to late 1995). In her reporting from former Yugoslavia she refused to take sides, which was not always appreciated. Henk Hofland
, the éminence grise of Dutch journalism, described her reports from Bosnia as very good: "That was reporting in the most direct way and written in an excellent manner."
In 1996 she became the correspondent for Latin America, based in Mexico
, working for NRC Handelsblad and the NOS. In 1999, she moved to Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil
). She left NRC Handelsblad in 2003, but continued to work for NOS radio and television.
In December 2000, she investigated the health impacts of aerial fumigations of coca cultivation in Colombia
with the herbicide Roundup, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate. She found that "because the chemical is sprayed in Colombia from planes on inhabited areas, there have been consistent health complaints [in humans]. Burning eyes, dizziness and respiratory problems being most frequently reported." In some areas, 80 percent of the children of the indigenous community fell sick with skin rashes, fever, diarrhoea and eye infections.
In 1993 she published her first book Italië op maandag (Italy on a Monday), which sold over 50,000 copies. In 2004, she published De nacht van de schreeuw (The Night of the Scream) about the absorbing account of a friendship between two women of very different classes and cultures.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
public radio and television news channel.
She started her career as a freelance journalist in Italy in the 1980s. From 1991-2003 she worked for the daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...
, covering national news and the Balkan Wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
(March 1994 to late 1995). In her reporting from former Yugoslavia she refused to take sides, which was not always appreciated. Henk Hofland
Henk Hofland
Hendrik Johannes Adrianus Hofland is a Dutch journalist, commentator, essayist and columnist. H.J.A. Hofland, as he is also commonly know, is often referred to as the éminence grise of Dutch journalism. In 1999 he was named Dutch "Journalist of the century" in a nationwide poll among his peers...
, the éminence grise of Dutch journalism, described her reports from Bosnia as very good: "That was reporting in the most direct way and written in an excellent manner."
In 1996 she became the correspondent for Latin America, based in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, working for NRC Handelsblad and the NOS. In 1999, she moved to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
(Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
). She left NRC Handelsblad in 2003, but continued to work for NOS radio and television.
In December 2000, she investigated the health impacts of aerial fumigations of coca cultivation in Colombia
Coca eradication
Coca eradication is a controversial strategy strongly promoted by the United States government starting in 1961 as part of its "War on Drugs" to eliminate the cultivation of coca, a plant whose leaves are not only traditionally used by indigenous cultures but also, in modern society, in the...
with the herbicide Roundup, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate. She found that "because the chemical is sprayed in Colombia from planes on inhabited areas, there have been consistent health complaints [in humans]. Burning eyes, dizziness and respiratory problems being most frequently reported." In some areas, 80 percent of the children of the indigenous community fell sick with skin rashes, fever, diarrhoea and eye infections.
In 1993 she published her first book Italië op maandag (Italy on a Monday), which sold over 50,000 copies. In 2004, she published De nacht van de schreeuw (The Night of the Scream) about the absorbing account of a friendship between two women of very different classes and cultures.
External links
- Personal website
- Biography Marjon van Royen, Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature (NLPVF)
- The Night of the Scream (De nacht van de schreeuw), Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature (NLPVF)