Magazines
“Margriet
IS A FRIEND TO WOMEN OVER 60”
José Rozenbroek
(65), editor-in-chief of Margriet
José Rozenbroek has been editor-in-chief of Margriet since March 2025. In doing so, she has returned to the magazine where she once started as an intern. Her appointment shows that being over 60 doesn’t mean you are too old to make the most of life. And that is exactly what Margriet aims to demonstrate.
She sees it as perfectly natural. “I started a new job at 64 – isn’t that great?” Admittedly, when Margriet was looking for a successor to Helene van Santen, Rozenbroek hesitated for a moment. She was happy with her life as a freelance magazine maker and journalist. But the prospect of working daily with a team on a title again – and one aimed at women of her own age – convinced her.
Still, she didn’t become editor-in-chief simply because she happens to belong to the target group. She has been in the profession for forty years. Her career began in 1985 at Margriet itself, where she completed an internship after studying Dutch. “That’s where I learned my very first lessons.” She later became editor-in-chief of ELLE and editor of Volkskrant Magazine, and wrote for Libelle and other magazines and newspapers.
Margriet has been published weekly since
1938
Each month, the Margriet brand reaches more than
1.5
million women
Margriet has a very high brand awareness of
94%
57%
of Margriet subscribers have been subscribed for more than 20 years
The Margriet website has nearly
6 million
pageviews per month
Not old or over the hill
She could easily have continued doing that for many more years. “When you’re young, 60-plus sounds old and over the hill. But once you reach that age, you realise this isn’t the case at all. You no longer have to juggle everything at home, and menopause is behind you. You notice that you still matter and suddenly have time for the enjoyable things in life. Life at 60-plus can be very well balanced.”
It’s no coincidence that Margriet’s motto is The Best Time of Your Life is Now! “That is the message we want to give our readers. These can be truly wonderful years, although we are also aware that this isn’t the case for everyone. It can also be a very difficult time, for example if you’re ill or caring for someone who is ill. We also want to be there for those over 60 who are less fortunate.”
“Margriet is a friend to the reader. A friend who supports her, sometimes challenges her and encourages her to step outside her comfort zone, but who also listens and offers a sense of warmth and enjoyment. Our basic tone is positive. But we’re not inward-looking, we keep our focus on society. Every year, for example, we organise the ‘60 over 60’ awards, celebrating women over 60 who excel in their field.”
Fully committed to digital
As a company, DPG Media considers it important to also have brands for people aged 60-plus. Although Margriet has a large group of loyal subscribers, Rozenbroek sees that this audience is becoming increasingly digital. “That is why we’re fully committed to digital. In 2026, we want to further strengthen the Margriet website. I strongly believe in a framework of columns and features that are so entertaining that people become attached to them and keep coming back.”
Margriet works closely with Libelle, which targets women aged 45 to 60. “Together, we reach 3.2 million women every month. At events such as the Zomerweek and the Winterfair, which we organise with Libelle, we see all these women: mothers and daughters, sisters, friends, neighbours. For them, women’s magazines are a treat they give themselves. And that is something we want to continue offering.”
