DENK MP: Journalists should swear an oath

New political movement DENK thinks that journalists should swear an oath in which the promise to exercise their profession faithfully. Such an oath would "help prevent the appearance of distrust, which lives in many people according to research", DENK parliamentarian Tunahan Kuzu said to RTL Nieuws. Kuzu compares journalists with accountants, judges, lawyers, bankers, solders, doctors and parliamentarians. "They also have a great social responsibility and therefore they should, if not be legally required, lay down an oath", he said to the broadcaster, adding that proper media functioning and controlling is a necessary task. The Dutch association of journalists NVJ is completely set against such a mandatory oath, calling it a restriction of press freedom. "If a politician says that, alarm bells go off. This is contrary to the principle of free press", general secretary Thomas Bruning said to RT. "Journalism is an open profession and not comparable to, for example, doctors and lawyers." DENK previously annoyed journalists by calling the media the "gatekeepers of established order", accusing them of censoring, holding back important facts and having an agenda to "what is presented to you and I as truth".