First-response script for a press call at a Dutch organisation in 2026

Written by Thijs Bakker · Revised 2 September 2026 · 7 min read

What is a first-response script for a press call?

A first-response script is the set of sentences a receptionist, a communications officer or a manager says when a journalist calls. It is not the final answer. The script exists to buy time, to collect the right information, and to show that the organisation takes the question seriously.

In Dutch media relations the script is often called an opvangscript. The journalist should hear one clear voice that says: we noted your question and we will call you back with a named spokesperson. That promise must include a specific time, usually within one or two hours.

Every script has three parts. The first part thanks the journalist for calling and confirms the topic. The second part asks for the journalist's name, outlet, deadline and phone number.

The third part gives the promised call-back time and ends the call politely. No opinion, no speculation, no apology beyond a standard phrase such as "we understand your interest". The script is a holding gesture, not a press release.

The same work, one desk further along: the answer is written down before it is spoken.

Why does a 2026 Dutch press call need a different script than last year?

Two things changed in the Dutch media landscape between 2024 and 2026. First, more journalists work freelance or for small digital outlets. A call can come from a reporter who is not in the standard media databases.

Second, the response time expectation shortened. Many large Dutch media now expect a first answer within sixty minutes during office hours. The script must include a realistic deadline check.

If the journalist needs an answer in thirty minutes and your internal process needs two hours, tell the journalist that at the start. False hope damages trust.

PR-Dashboard states on its pages that its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as documented on its frequently-asked-questions page, read 1 September 2026. That database helps identify the caller, but the script works with or without a database. The principle is the same: ask, promise, deliver.

What are the core sentences of a Dutch first-response script?

Every script needs five building blocks. The exact wording changes per organisation, but the structure stays the same. Block one: identify yourself.

"Media desk, this is [name] speaking, how can I help you?" Block two: confirm the topic. "You are calling about [subject], correct?" Block three: explain the procedure. "I will note your question and have the right colleague call you back.

To do that I need your name, your outlet, your deadline and a phone number." Block four: set a time. "I expect to have someone call you back within [number] minutes. If that changes I will call you myself." Block five: close.

"Thank you for calling. You will hear from us before [time]."

The script must be printed or pinned next to every phone that can take an outside call. Some organisations put the script on an intranet page that opens when someone picks up the phone. Others use a small card taped to the desk.

The form matters less than the habit. Every person who could answer a press call needs to practise once a quarter.

How does a Dutch organisation track the incoming press questions?

A script is only the first half of the process. The second half is logging the call and assigning a response. Some organisations use a simple spreadsheet with columns for date, journalist, outlet, deadline, question, assigned to and status.

Others use a dedicated system. PR-Dashboard sells a product called Persvragen that handles incoming press questions. The price for that module is EUR 2,700. The system centralises the incoming questions and lets a team assign, draft and approve answers.

A smaller organisation might skip the system and use email only. The risk is that a question sits in one person's inbox while the rest of the team does not know about the call. A first-response script that ends with a promise loses its value if the person who took the call forgets to forward the details. That is why the logging step is part of the process, not an optional addition.

What does a first-response script cost for a team of two to five people?

The script itself costs nothing. It is a one-page document written by the communications team. The training time is the real cost.

A two-hour workshop for a team of five people, taught by an external trainer, runs roughly EUR 600 to EUR 900 in the Dutch market. After the workshop the organisation needs a system to log questions.

All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.

Wide table. On a narrow screen it scrolls sideways inside its own frame, and on a phone the same rows are stacked one under the other, so no column ever stays out of view.

The table compares four tools that all handle some part of press call management. This Dutch platform the journalist database includes a journalist database and a sending system, which helps the team find the right person to answer a question. Prezly Essential starts at EUR 100 per month per user, which is lower per user than the supplier product, but Prezly does not state it includes a Dutch and Flemish database.

Mynewsdesk publishes no Dutch-language pages as of 31 August 2026. Presspage Business essentials costs EUR 20,000 per year and names Germany as its data location.

What should a Dutch organisation check before making the script official?

Three checks matter. First, does every person who could answer a call know the script? A script on an intranet page that nobody opens is not a script.

Second, does the script include a realistic time promise? A thirty-minute promise that regularly takes ninety minutes is worse than no promise at all. Third, does the person who takes the call have a clear way to escalate? The script should include the name or role of the person to contact if the primary spokesperson is not reachable.

Some Dutch organisations add a fourth check: did the script include a question about the journalist's medium? A journalist from a broadcast outlet works on a different timeline than a journalist from a weekly magazine. The script can ask: "Are you on air now or writing for tomorrow?" That information helps the team prioritise.

The script stays short. A five-question script is too long. Three questions and a promise is the right length.

What happens if the script fails?

A script fails when the person on the phone starts speculating or gives a personal opinion. The risk is highest in the first ten seconds after the journalist names a sensitive topic. The person feels pressure to say something helpful and the script gets forgotten.

The only fix is practice. A team that practises three or four scenarios a year will almost never break the script under real pressure. The second failure mode is missing the deadline.

The journalist waits past the promised call-back time and calls someone else in the organisation, who then gives a different answer. That damages the organisation's control over the message.

This Dutch platform states that development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, as documented on its frequently-asked-questions page, read 1 September 2026. An organisation using the press-question module or any other system still needs the human script. A system logs, a script protects.

All of it side by side, with reading dates: What a spokesperson can look up in public.