Eva Jinek — Biography
Born under the Oklahoma sun in Tulsa on July 13, 1978, Eva Jinek would embark on a journey that led her from the American capital to the European heartland. Her childhood unfolded in Washington, D.C., where she received her early education at the Sheridan School. A heritage of Czech roots shaped her family's story. When Eva was eleven, a significant shift occurred as her family relocated to the Netherlands. She vividly recalls this transition, noting that "before I went to high school, they decided that they would prefer that my brother and I grow up in Europe. I remember it was six weeks until I spoke my first word in Dutch."
After completing her studies in American history at the University of Leiden in 2004, Jinek's journalistic career took flight at the Dutch public news network, NOS Journaal, as its foreign editor. Her focus was on the United States. Further solidifying her presence in broadcast journalism, she began anchoring the news program NOS Journaal 3 at the close of 2007. By the autumn of 2008, Jinek was a regular fixture, presenting the morning and afternoon news bulletins for NOS.
In May of that same year, Jinek collaborated with fellow editor Monique van Hoogstraten on "Het maakbare nieuws," an anthology of eighteen narratives contributed by foreign correspondents. This project emerged as a response to the publication "Het zijn net mensen" (Almost Human) by journalist and author Joris Luyendijk. Jinek's deep familiarity with the United States was particularly evident during her co-hosting of the NOS program 'Amerika Kiest' (America Votes), which covered the U.S. presidential elections, broadcasting from the Netherlands on November 4th and 5th, 2008. Alongside Philip Freriks, she provided on-the-ground reporting from the Occidental Restaurant, situated near the White House. Reflecting on the intense preparation for 'Amerika Kiest,' Jinek confided in the TV guide Mikro Gids, stating, "The last weeks before the broadcast Amerika Kiest totally dominated my life, at the end, even 24 hours a day. I was so nervous. It felt like all eyes were on me. I just thought: Oh my god, let me do well. Really well!"
After completing her studies in American history at the University of Leiden in 2004, Jinek's journalistic career took flight at the Dutch public news network, NOS Journaal, as its foreign editor. Her focus was on the United States. Further solidifying her presence in broadcast journalism, she began anchoring the news program NOS Journaal 3 at the close of 2007. By the autumn of 2008, Jinek was a regular fixture, presenting the morning and afternoon news bulletins for NOS.
In May of that same year, Jinek collaborated with fellow editor Monique van Hoogstraten on "Het maakbare nieuws," an anthology of eighteen narratives contributed by foreign correspondents. This project emerged as a response to the publication "Het zijn net mensen" (Almost Human) by journalist and author Joris Luyendijk. Jinek's deep familiarity with the United States was particularly evident during her co-hosting of the NOS program 'Amerika Kiest' (America Votes), which covered the U.S. presidential elections, broadcasting from the Netherlands on November 4th and 5th, 2008. Alongside Philip Freriks, she provided on-the-ground reporting from the Occidental Restaurant, situated near the White House. Reflecting on the intense preparation for 'Amerika Kiest,' Jinek confided in the TV guide Mikro Gids, stating, "The last weeks before the broadcast Amerika Kiest totally dominated my life, at the end, even 24 hours a day. I was so nervous. It felt like all eyes were on me. I just thought: Oh my god, let me do well. Really well!"
