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Abstract

In the age of the Dutch Republic, both political authors and the public lacked detailed information on the behaviour of political figures, because decision-making took place on a level to which neither groups had direct access. This often led writers who aimed at a national audi­ence to represent political figures in a stereotypical manner. During the first years of the Bata­vian Republic, the proceedings of the sessions of the National Assembly (the Dagverhaal) granted direct access to the political process. As long as the Dagverhaal was read by a large part of the population, the media and the electorate had the same knowledge of the public acts of their deputies. As a result, political commentators could take an important step towards a multidimensional and individualized representation. 

Keywords: Batavian Republic,  National Assembly,  Dagverhaal,  character writing,  political journalism