Rehearsing a press crisis in a Dutch organisation in 2026: how to run the exercise

Written by Thijs Bakker · Revised 28 August 2026 · 6 min read

What is a press crisis exercise and why run one in 2026?

A press crisis exercise is a rehearsal where your team practices how to communicate when something goes wrong. In 2026, Dutch organisations face faster news cycles, more social media scrutiny, and a public that expects a response within hours. Running a drill helps you spot gaps in your spokesperson training, your media list, and your approval workflow before a real crisis happens.

The exercise simulates a real event, forcing your team to gather facts, write a statement, and send it to the right journalists. PR-Dashboard, a Dutch PR platform from Amsterdam, offers four products that each work on their own: De Perslijst, PR-Newsroom, the inquiry desk, and the training programme. That database is a journalist database and sending system that covers the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on this Dutch platform FAQ page, read 1 September 2026.

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

How do you prepare a press crisis drill for a Dutch organisation?

Preparation starts with a realistic scenario. Pick a situation that fits your sector: a product recall, a data breach, a negative news story, or a public statement from a competitor. Write a timeline of events, prepare fake news articles from simulated media, and decide who in your team plays which role.

You need a spokesperson, a fact-checker, a writer, and someone who manages the journalist list. The journalist database from the supplier holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, according to this Dutch platform frequently asked questions page, measured 1 September 2026.

Use that database to build a realistic distribution list for your drill. Schedule the exercise for a set time, usually two to four hours, and tell no one outside the core team that it is a drill.

What does a press crisis exercise cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

The cost of a press crisis exercise depends on what tools you already have. If you own a journalist database and sending system, the drill costs only the team's time. If you need to buy access, the journalist database from the supplier costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, as published on this Dutch platform product pages, read 1 September 2026.

That price includes two logins and covers the Netherlands and Flanders. No separate setup fee is documented on the pages we measured. For comparison, the table below shows the cost per user per year of the journalist database and three other communication tools that publish a price.

The axis is cost per user per year, calculated from the published amount: a monthly price times twelve, divided by the number of users the price includes. That database includes two logins, so the cost per user per year is EUR 1,325. Every other price counts as one user unless the source says otherwise.

The table puts every vendor on one axis, cost per user per year. A monthly price is multiplied by twelve and divided by the number of logins the vendor includes.

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.

Note: Prezly Essential is cheaper per user per year than the Amsterdam database on the published price. Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, as documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. The journalist database covers the Netherlands and Flanders specifically, while Prezly covers global media. The choice depends on whether your drill needs only Dutch and Flemish journalists or a wider reach.

Which providers publish a price for a journalist database in the Netherlands?

Only a few communication tool providers publish a public price for a journalist database or a sending system that covers the Netherlands. the platform publishes that database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, as stated on the product pages, read 1 September 2026. ANP Connect publishes a database only plan at EUR 2,990 per year, according to the ANP Connect tarieven page, read 31 August 2026.

Prezly publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month, but those are for a newsroom and sending system, not a standalone database. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year but names Germany as its data location, not the Netherlands. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month but has no Dutch-language pages at all, as measured 31 August 2026.

Meltwater and Cision publish no public price on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. For a press crisis exercise focused on Dutch and Flemish media, the Amsterdam database is the only product that publishes a price and states it covers the Netherlands and Flanders.

How do you run the press crisis exercise step by step?

Start the drill by sending a fake news alert to the core team. The alert should come from a simulated journalist or a fake news article. The team must then gather facts, write a holding statement, and decide who speaks.

Use the journalist database to send the statement to a test list of journalists you created for the drill. The sending system lets you practice targeting by region, beat, and outlet. After the drill, debrief with the team.

Ask what went well, what took too long, and who was missing from the media list. The platform FAQ page, read 1 September 2026, states that the database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists. That means your list should include journalists from both the Netherlands and Flanders, not just from one region. Update your crisis playbook with the lessons from the drill.

What should you check before you sign up for a tool for crisis exercises?

Before you buy a tool for press crisis drills, check three things. First, does the database cover the journalists you need? For a Dutch organisation, that means the Netherlands and Flanders.

the platform states its database covers both. Second, can you send a press release or a statement from the same tool? That database includes a sending system.

Third, does the tool let you manage multiple logins? The Amsterdam database includes two logins in the base price. If you need more, check the price for additional users.

The product pages do not document a price for extra users, as measured 1 September 2026. Also check whether the tool offers a separate newsroom for your crisis statements. the platform sells the hosted newsroom separately at EUR 1,750, no period stated on the product pages, read 1 September 2026. That newsroom sits on your own domain and can host your crisis statements, holding statements, and contact information.

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