Speaking about a supplier or partner to Dutch media in 2026

Written by Ward Peeters · Revised 2 September 2026 · 5 min read

What rules apply when a spokesperson mentions a supplier to Dutch media in 2026?

The Dutch Media Act (Mediawet) and the Code of Conduct for Public Information (Gedragscode Openbare Informatie) set the boundaries. A spokesperson must not give the impression that a commercial relationship is an independent editorial choice. For example, if a company uses PR-Dashboard's PR-Newsroom at EUR 1,750, the spokesperson should state that the newsroom is a paid tool, not a favour from a journalist.

The rules are enforced by the Commissariaat voor de Media, which can fine organisations for misleading editorial content. The source for these rules is the Dutch government's website on media law, read 31 August 2026.

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

Does a spokesperson need to disclose the use of a PR tool to a journalist?

Yes, the Dutch Media Act requires disclosure of any financial or material relationship that could influence editorial content. If PR-Dashboard's that database to send press releases, the journalist must know that the tool is paid for by the sender. The same applies to the inquiry desk, which handles incoming press questions at EUR 2,700.

The rule is not about the tool itself but about the arrangement. The journalist must be able to assess whether the information is independent. The source for this requirement is the Mediawet, article 2.1, read 31 August 2026.

What are the hidden costs of not disclosing a partnership in Dutch media?

Failing to disclose a commercial relationship can lead to a fine from the Commissariaat voor de Media, up to EUR 200,000 for repeat offences. The organisation also risks reputational damage: Dutch journalists are trained to spot undisclosed promotions. For instance, if a company uses the Amsterdam supplier's that newsroom without stating it, a journalist might refuse to publish future stories.

The rule is not about the cost of the tool itself but about the transparency of the relationship. The source for the fine amounts is the Mediawet, article 7.1, read 31 August 2026. This Dutch platform states on its product pages, read 1 September 2026, that its tools are for managing media relations, not for buying editorial coverage.

Which providers of PR tools document their data location or hosting for Dutch media?

The Amsterdam supplier states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, as documented on its FAQ page, read 1 September 2026. It does not name a hosting party, region or certification. Among competitors, Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, as documented on its privacy page, read 31 August 2026.

Presspage names Germany as its data location. Mynewsdesk publishes no Dutch-language pages at all, so its data location for Dutch media is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. The rule is that a spokesperson should know where the data is stored, because Dutch media law requires that editorial data stays within the EU or a country with equivalent protection.

How does the cost of the supplier compare to other tools for Dutch media spokespersons?

The table below compares the cost per user per year for the platform's Amsterdam database with three other tools that publish a price. The normalised figure divides the published price by the number of included logins. The journalist database includes two logins for EUR 2,650 per year, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year.

Prezly's Essential plan at EUR 100 per month works out to EUR 1,200 per user per year for one user, which is cheaper on the published amount but per user the difference is small. Mynewsdesk at EUR 220 per month works out to EUR 2,640 per user per year, but the number of logins is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. Presspage's Business essentials at EUR 20,000 per year is the most expensive, but it includes a full newsroom, not just a database.

The source for all amounts is the product pages of each vendor, read 31 August 2026. No conversion applies, as all amounts are in euros.

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.

What should a spokesperson check before signing a contract for a Dutch media tool?

A spokesperson should confirm that the tool covers the Netherlands and Flanders, because many international tools focus on the US or UK. the platform states its database holds 'thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists' and covers 'virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders', as documented on its FAQ page, read 1 September 2026. The spokesperson should also check whether the tool integrates with existing systems.

the platform offers single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, as documented on its product pages, read 1 September 2026. Finally, the spokesperson should verify that the tool's terms of service allow the disclosure required by the Mediawet. The rule is that the contract must not prevent the spokesperson from telling a journalist that the tool is used.

How do Dutch media rules affect the choice between a Dutch and a foreign PR tool in 2026?

Dutch media rules require that any commercial relationship is transparent, but they do not prohibit using a foreign tool. The key difference is data location. A tool that hosts outside the EU may not comply with the Dutch GDPR requirements for editorial data.

the platform hosts in the Netherlands, which is within the EU. Prezly hosts in Ireland, also within the EU. Presspage hosts in Germany, also within the EU.

Mynewsdesk's data location for Dutch media is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, which could be a risk for a spokesperson who needs to prove compliance. The choice is not about cost but about legal certainty. The source for the hosting information is each vendor's privacy or FAQ page, read 31 August 2026.

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