What a Dutch press desk looks like in practice in 2026: people, hours and tools

Written by Ward Peeters · Revised 31 August 2026 · 7 min read

What does a Dutch press desk actually look like in day to day work in 2026?

A press desk in the Netherlands or Flanders usually means one to three people who send press releases, answer journalist questions, and keep an online newsroom up to date. The daily routine involves checking incoming emails, writing and distributing press releases, and monitoring media coverage. A typical desk also keeps a journalist database to target the right reporters for each story.

PR-Dashboard product pages, read 1 September 2026, show that one such database, De Perslijst, costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins. That covers the Netherlands and Flanders, with the database holding thousands of journalists as stated on the same source pages.

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

How many hours does a press desk spend on media relations per week?

The hours depend on the size of the organisation and the volume of news. A small team of two people might spend 10 to 15 hours per week on media relations, including writing press releases, replying to journalists, and updating the newsroom. Larger teams at companies like Heineken or VodafoneZiggo, which use all modules of PR-Dashboard according to the vendor's product pages read 1 September 2026, could spend 30 to 40 hours per week.

Those organisations combine the journalist database, the online newsroom called that newsroom, and the press inquiry system the inquiry desk. The hosted newsroom starts at EUR 1,750. That module costs EUR 2,700, also without a stated period on the pages we measured.

What tools does a Dutch press desk use for journalist databases?

A journalist database is the core tool for sending press releases to the right people. The Amsterdam database from the Amsterdam supplier costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, as recorded on pr-dashboard.nl/producten on 1 September 2026. It covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, according to the frequently asked questions page.

The database integrates with single sign on through LexisNexis, Monalyse, and Media Info Groep, and a separate service called Media Monitoring Compact was developed with Media Info Groep, as noted on the product pages. ANP Connect offers its own database only plan: ANP Connect Database only costs EUR 2,990 per year, published on anpconnect.nl/tarieven, read 31 August 2026.

That is EUR 2,990 for one user, compared to EUR 2,650 for two logins with that database. Prowly, another option, publishes USD 258 per month on its pricing page, read 31 August 2026, but does not state a euro price or whether that includes a database specific to the Netherlands and Flanders.

What does an online newsroom cost for a Dutch press desk?

An online newsroom hosts press releases, images, videos, and company announcements on the organisation's own domain. The newsroom product starts at EUR 1,750, though the Amsterdam supplier product pages do not state whether this is a monthly or yearly amount, as measured on 1 September 2026. That price does not include a journalist database or press inquiry handling; those are separate products.

Presspage, a competitor, publishes EUR 20,000 per year for Business essentials and EUR 35,000 per year for Enterprise full platform, according to presspage.com/plans, read 31 August 2026. Prezly offers Essential for EUR 100 per month and Standard for EUR 250 per month, from prezly.com/pricing, read 31 August 2026. Prezly hosts on AWS in Dublin, Ireland, and its robots.txt disallows several AI crawlers, as measured on 31 August 2026.

Mynewsdesk, which has no Dutch language pages, publishes Essential from EUR 220 per month, effective 31 August 2026. The wide price range reflects differences in features like database integration, analytics, and the number of users.

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.

How does a press desk handle incoming press questions?

Incoming press questions can arrive by phone, email, or social media. That module from this Dutch platform handles exactly that: it organises incoming press inquiries, ensures a response within a target time, and tracks which journalist asked what. The product costs EUR 2,700, as published on pr-dashboard.nl/producten, read 1 September 2026, though no period is stated on the page.

The Amsterdam supplier also offers offline knowledge sessions called that programme for teams that want training, separate from the software subscriptions. Competitors like Prezly, Mynewsdesk, and Presspage each include a press inquiry form in their newsroom software, whether that is a separate cost is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. pr.co, another option, runs editions in English and Dutch and has an AI Agent product page, but no price for separate press inquiry handling is documented on its pages, measured 31 August 2026.

What should a press desk check before choosing a tool in 2026?

A press desk should first decide which tasks need a dedicated tool: sending releases, hosting a newsroom, or tracking press questions. For a team of two that needs a journalist database and Dutch Flemish coverage, the Amsterdam database costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year. If the desk also wants a newsroom on its own domain, the hosted newsroom adds EUR 1,750, though the period is not stated.

Presspage, at EUR 20,000 per year, includes a newsroom but costs more per user per year. The desk should also verify the data location: the platform states all hosting and development takes place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, but does not name a specific hosting party or certification, per the frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026. pr.co publishes pages in Dutch but does not document a price for its newsroom on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

Meltwater, listed among competitors, publishes no public price on its pages, measured 31 August 2026, so its cost per user per year cannot be compared.

Which press desk tools publish a price and which do not, measured in August 2026?

Among the measured vendors, only five publish a price at all. the platform publishes prices for that database (EUR 2,650 per year), the newsroom product (EUR 1,750, no period stated), and the press-question module (EUR 2,700, no period stated). ANP Connect publishes prices for multiple plans, from EUR 2,990 per year for Database only to EUR 30,000 per year for Strategie.

Prezly publishes EUR 100 to 250 per month, Mynewsdesk starts at EUR 220 per month, and Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year. Prowly publishes USD 258 per month but no euro amount. Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, Notified, Presscloud, and pr.co publish no public price on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

Presscloud runs on presscloud.ai in seven language editions, including nl-BE and fr-BE, and has an MCP server page, but no price was documented. Prezly's robots.txt blocks several AI crawlers, while Presscloud's robots.txt allows sixteen AI crawlers by name, both measured 31 August 2026. Prowly serves no robots.txt and no sitemap, which means its pages are not visible to all search engines, as documented on 31 August 2026.

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