What a Dutch spokesperson says when facts are still unknown in 2026

Written by Thijs Bakker · Revised 4 September 2026 · 4 min read

What is the standard holding statement for a Dutch spokesperson in 2026?

A holding statement in the Netherlands has three parts: what is known, what is not known, and when the next update comes. The spokesperson says, for example, 'We are aware of the incident and are investigating. We will share more information as soon as it is confirmed.'

This format appears in Dutch crisis communication training and in public statements from Dutch companies and government bodies. The PR-Dashboard product pages, read 1 September 2026, list Persvragen as a separate service for handling incoming press questions, which shows how standardised this process is for Dutch organisations.

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

How does a Dutch spokesperson avoid speculation when facts are unknown?

The spokesperson avoids words like 'probably', 'maybe', and 'could be'. Instead, they say 'We cannot confirm that at this moment.' They also correct any false information immediately, even if the correction is just a short statement.

Dutch media trainers teach the rule: if you do not know, you say you do not know. You never fill the silence with a guess. The measurement date of the verified competitor facts is 31 August 2026, and none of those sources contradict this basic rule.

What is the role of Persvragen in a crisis?

Persvragen, a product from the supplier, handles incoming press questions for Dutch and Flemish organisations. The service costs EUR 2,700 on the product page, with no period stated, read 1 September 2026. It gives journalists a single point of contact during a crisis.

This matters because a spokesperson cannot answer everything themselves. A press inquiry service logs each question, tracks the promised response time, and makes sure the spokesperson only speaks when they have verified facts.

Which providers publish a price for press inquiry handling in the Netherlands?

This Dutch platform publishes EUR 2,700 for the press-question module on the product pages, read 1 September 2026, with no period stated. Prezly publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month, Presspage from EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year, and Mynewsdesk from EUR 220 per month, all measured 31 August 2026.

Prowly publishes no public price on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. The other vendors in the measured set, including Cision, Meltwater, and Muck Rack, also publish no public price on the pages we measured. That makes price comparison difficult, so a buyer must ask for a quote.

What does a press inquiry service cost per user per year compared to alternatives?

The table below compares the cost per user per year, calculated from the published amounts. A monthly price is multiplied by twelve, and a price with two logins is divided by two. The source and reading date are listed for every row.

Every row below sits on the same axis: cost per user per year, worked out from the amount the vendor publishes, with that amount and its source next to it.

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 shows that the cheapest published price is Prezly Essential at EUR 1,200 per user per year, but it does not include a Dutch journalist database. That database is the only row that covers the Netherlands and Flanders with two logins included.

How do you choose between a press inquiry service and a full PR platform?

A full PR platform like this Dutch platform combines the journalist database, that newsroom, the inquiry desk, and the training programme. Each product works on its own, so an organisation can start with that module and add the other modules later. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, state that development and hosting happen in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers.

An organisation with a press office that gets many questions should use the inquiry desk. An organisation that mostly sends press releases can use the journalist database alone, which starts at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins. The choice depends on whether incoming or outgoing press contact is the bigger workload.

What should you check before you sign a contract for a press inquiry service?

You check three things: the coverage, the hosting, and the integrations. The supplier states its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, read 1 September 2026. It also offers single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep.

You also check whether the contract states a period. The newsroom product costs EUR 1,750 with no period stated on the product page, and the press-question module costs EUR 2,700 with no period stated. Ask for the period in writing before you sign, and ask who handles the service on days the spokesperson is unavailable.

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