Obviously, 25 years of service at the UvA is a wonderful milestone, but the ties that bind Claes and the UvA go back even further. Claes arrived in Amsterdam from Denmark as an exchange student in 1996 before being given a contract in March 2000. ‘I’m the worst example of mobility in academia!’ he laughs.

Framing with NOS Journaal

For his doctoral thesis, De Vreese investigated the influence of different perspectives in the news. How do these change the audience’s opinion on a subject? It led to a special cooperation with NOS Journaal, the news programme of the Dutch Public Broadcasting Foundation. De Vreese: ‘NOS really went all-in. We invited a number of test subjects to the studio in Hilversum, where we showed them similar news items containing different perspectives. For the benefit of the experiment, we even conducted a fake interview with the president of the Dutch Central Bank, in which he gave four different quotes on the same subject.’

Fast track to a professorship

In 2003, this doctoral research was awarded the International Communication Association’s Prize for Best Dissertation in Mass Communication. After that, things moved quickly. In 2005, De Vreese was appointed professor of Political Communication. ‘That was a huge change,’ he says. ‘I suddenly went from being a young researcher and fellow student to being a supervisor. However, that did give me the opportunity to mentor young researchers and build successful research groups.’

‘It also took some getting used to. For a long time, I kept thinking like a doctoral researcher. For example, I wanted to keep up with the latest technological developments and research techniques myself. I had to learn to delegate and recognise that the expertise lies within the team, not exclusively with the professor.’

De Vreese has now been University Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Society at the UvA since 1 June 2021. In this role, he works together with other disciplines on research and teaching around the societal impact of AI.

Worthless advice

What tips does Claes have for young researchers? ‘Don’t worry about the next three or four years of your academic career. You can’t predict how things will turn out.’

Immediately after saying that, Claes goes back on his words. ‘That’s worthless advice really, isn’t it? The reality is different now, with these ridiculous cuts looming. But it does help to step away from a mindset of “I’m going to do this, obtain a doctorate here and work there”. Remain open to new opportunities and challenges.’

Trips to Harvard

Despite Claes’ loyalty to the UvA, his curiosity has taken him to the most extraordinary academic places. In 2004, he went to the world-renowned Harvard University as a visiting scholar, returning as a Shorenstein Fellow in 2017. ‘I felt like the cat that got the cream. Every day there was an event with a former government official, top scientist or ambassador. The atmosphere among my fellow students was fun, but also tough and competitive. After a lecture, there was one friendly beer, then it was back to working hard.’

Did Claes bring anything back from Harvard to the UvA? ‘Because there was such an incredible number of events to choose from, you often ended up in a small room with around 10 or 12 people. That really created a good, intimate conversation between the audience and the guest speaker. At the UvA, I sometimes adopt the same approach.’

Fællesskab

As a Dane, what is it like to have lived in the Netherlands for so long? ‘I love the Netherlands! The Danes and the Dutch are a lot alike when it comes to democracy, prosperity and beating the Germans at football, ha ha. However, there is a big difference. In Denmark, one word is very important: fællesskab, or “community”. That’s really instilled in the Danes, whereas in the Netherlands society is more focused on the individual.’

Difference between Danish and Dutch politics

Claes also sees many similarities between Denmark and the Netherlands in his area of expertise in politics. Both countries have an electoral system with numerous parties and low or no electoral thresholds, which encourages new political movements.

His knowledge of both Danish and Dutch politics earned De Vreese a special invitation in February 2024. Kim Putters, the official (informateur) tasked with exploring which parties could form the new government, asked the UvA professor for advice on the complicated coalition negotiations. De Vreese was intrigued, but also set some clear conditions. ‘I asked in advance for a clear description of Putters’ terms of reference. With what agenda was he sitting there, and what was my role at the table? I wasn’t there to give political advice on what Party A should do to form a coalition.’

Putters and De Vreese talked about different forms of cooperation, such as a minority government. How does the Danish minority government model work? What are the formal aspects?

But more importantly, what are the informal aspects that make it a success?

A future in politics?

 ‘In the Netherlands, it’s difficult if you’re not a Dutch citizen. Maybe later? I’m not patient enough right now. I like to decide on something and do it immediately. Politics is like wading through treacle.’

Disinformation

Claes de Vreese has always kept a close eye on developments around the spread of disinformation, a key factor in political communication. ‘False information and propaganda have always existed. The emergence of platforms with new technologies has dramatically increased their quantity and distribution.’

What is the role of communication experts in a media landscape filled with disinformation? ‘To better understand disinformation by studying its content and dissemination as well as the behaviour of recipients,’ Claes says. ‘Why do we secretly find disinformation kind of fun? As a rational person, you should ignore it, but it’s not that simple.’

Future research

What do the next few months hold? Claes is currently working with the publisher DPG in the AI, Media and Democracy lab on research on the use of AI in journalism. How can you turn a long newspaper interview into different products? ‘Out of this interview, you could make three podcasts or one long read, but you could also create a soundbite interview. How do you use AI responsibly to do this, without consumers feeling betrayed? It’s super interesting from an academic perspective, but also important for a media company to understand.’

Smart and opinionated

Claes’ colleagues should not expect a big anniversary party. ‘It makes me feel rather old. Nevertheless, I do see this moment as an opportunity to say that I’ve always found it a great privilege to work at the UvA. It’s a place full of smart, interested and incredibly opinionated people. Every proposal immediately raises all kinds of substantive questions. Whether it’s academic research or teaching students, you’re constantly being challenged to be the best version of yourself you can be.’