Argos TV - Medialogic

The true crime genre seems more popular than ever. Journalists and program makers are increasingly taking the role of detective and judge. But what risks are they taking with this? And what is the impact of unproven suspicion? Isn't that character assassination? The flip side of true crime in Argos Medialogica.

Alternative media are on the rise. Online newspapers such as De Andere Krant and video channels such as Blckbx, Café Weltschmerz and the Red Pill Journal tell stories that, according to them, are not told in the mainstream media. About corona, sinister companies and an evil elite. These new media are being researched. Who is behind it and how are they financed? What conspiracies are they spreading and how are the judiciary and secret services trying to get a grip on them? A story about sedition, anti-Semitism, multimillionaires and MPs.

Upside Down, SynDROOM, Down the Road: these are just a few of the many TV programs about people with Down. According to critics, these programs have a misleading effect, they give society an overly positive image of the syndrome. This would not only have consequences for people with Down and those close to them, but also for people who are pregnant and have to make a decision about prenatal testing. It also turned out that not only TV programs try to determine the image of Down, but that there are even more forces at work. To whom his latest influence applies? Which interests play a role? And what are the consequences?

Men struggle with their position in society. As a man you are quickly seen as toxic or too masculine. Influencers like Andrew Tate have the solution: the man must become an alpha male again, especially now that the man has been consciously made weak and docile. But what consequences does this image have? And why are these ideas so popular among young people?

In April this year, there was a demonstration against a drag queen story hour in Rotterdam, where children are read to by a drag queen. The reading hours and the LGBTIQ+ community have been under fire for some time, including from radical right-wing politicians and activists. According to researchers, there is a conscious strategy behind these actions: what does this mean and what are the consequences?

In his book Of Boys and Men, British-American sociologist Richard Reeves investigates why many men struggle with themselves and their role in society and what we can do about it. What is the danger if the existing problems in men are ignored? And what does this mean for the rights of women and the LGBTIQ+ community?

When the MeToo movement began in 2017, it led to a wave of attention for sexually transgressive behavior. Experiences were shared more and more often. Various stories appeared in the media and education was also reported. For example, the rector magnificus of Radboud University was said to have been guilty of sexual harassment. Initially, the shock was great, but doubts about the seriousness of the allegations and the accuracy of the reporting soon followed. How can the media report carefully on such sensitive issues? And what are the consequences of publicity for victims and the accused?

In February 2025, an uproar arose over the Ramadan Expo in Utrecht, to which controversial Islamic preachers from abroad had been invited. Minister Faber and Van Weel wanted to deny the preachers entry to the Netherlands but were overruled by the court. An online campaign against the judge and his family ensued, after which the court filed a complaint of doxing. The issue led to tensions between politicians and the judiciary and raised questions about freedom of expression and the role of the media. A reconstruction of a controversy that demonstrates the fragility of the rule of law, including in the Netherlands.

In January, De Telegraaf led with a story about an alleged lobbying scandal in Brussels: the European Commission was allegedly paying environmental organizations to influence MEPs. Politicians reacted with outrage, and the news spread throughout Europe. Journalists and the European Commission largely debunked the story, but MEPs continued to use it to make their case. NGOs in Brussels see this as a pattern of political attacks, similar to what previously occurred in Poland, Hungary, and under Trump.