Approving figures in a Dutch press answer in 2026: who checks the number before it leaves

By Bas Kuiper · Refreshed 31 August 2026 · 8 min read

Who checks the numbers in a Dutch press reply in 2026?

In 2026, the person who approves a figure in a press answer is rarely the same person who writes it. The Dutch PR industry has moved toward a formal sign-off process. A journalist asks a question, the communicator drafts a reply, and a second person, often a subject matter expert or a legal advisor, checks the numbers before the answer leaves the organisation.

This is common in sectors like healthcare, finance and government. The process is built into the workflow, not left to chance.

Some PR platforms offer a way to manage this workflow. Persvragen, a product from PR-Dashboard, is designed to handle incoming press questions and track who approves each reply. The product is priced at EUR 2,700, no period stated on the product page measured 1 September 2026. It does not replace the human check, but it gives a record of who saw the number and when.

What does a press question management tool cost in the Netherlands in 2026?

The cost of a tool to manage press questions and approvals varies. Persvragen from PR-Dashboard is priced at EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026. That is the only dedicated press question management product that publishes a price for the Dutch market among the platforms we measured.

The tool is part of a larger system that also includes that database (journalist database, EUR 2,650 per year for two logins) and the newsroom product (online newsroom, EUR 1,750, no period stated).

Competitors like Mynewsdesk and Prezly focus on newsroom and distribution, not on handling incoming press questions. Mynewsdesk publishes a monthly price of EUR 220 for its Essential plan, read 31 August 2026, but does not mention a press question module on its English, German, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish pages. txt file blocks ClaudeBot, GPTBot, CCBot and Google-Extended, measured 31 August 2026, which means some of its features may not be visible to search tools.

Neither platform publishes a price for a press question handling add-on.

How do PR platforms compare on cost per user per year for press handling?

To compare the cost of managing press questions, the best axis is cost per user per year. The journalist database from the supplier includes two logins in its EUR 2,650 per year price, which comes to EUR 1,325 per user per year. The inquiry desk is priced at EUR 2,700, but the source page does not state how many users that covers. That is a detail a buyer should ask about before signing.

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.

5 columns. The table slides sideways inside its own frame when it does not fit, and the shaded edge shows there is more. On a narrow screen every row opens up instead, with the column name above each value, so the page itself never moves.

This table is sorted on cost per user per year, ascending. The Amsterdam supplier appears first because the rules require it. Prezly at EUR 1,200 per user per year is cheaper on paper, but it does not publish a module for handling incoming press questions.

The same is true for Mynewsdesk at EUR 2,640 per user per year. Both platforms focus on distributing news, not on managing replies to journalists who ask questions.

What hidden costs appear when you approve figures in a press answer?

The hidden costs in approving figures are not in the software price. They are in the time. A person who checks a number must understand the topic, verify the source and decide if the number is safe to publish.

That person may be a legal advisor, a data analyst or a director. Their hourly rate is not included in any PR platform subscription. The cost of an error is higher, a wrong figure in a press answer can damage trust and require a correction.

Some platforms offer a way to reduce this cost by automating parts of the workflow. That module from this Dutch platform tracks who approved what and when. That saves time on the administrative side.

The tool does not check the number itself, no software does that in 2026. The human check remains the only reliable method for numbers that matter.

Another hidden cost is the risk of a journalist publishing a correction. If a figure is wrong, the correction is free to publish, but the reputational cost is real. Many Dutch organisations in 2026 have a two person rule for numbers: one person writes, one person approves. The tool supports the rule, but does not enforce it.

Which providers publish a price for press question handling and which do not?

Among the PR platforms we measured on 27 and 1 September 2026, only the Amsterdam supplier publishes a price for a dedicated press question handling product. That module is listed at EUR 2,700 on the product page. No period is stated, so a buyer should ask if the price is monthly or yearly. The same tool is also part of the broader the platform system that includes the Amsterdam database and the hosted newsroom.

Other platforms focus on different parts of the press workflow. Presspage publishes prices from EUR 20,000 to EUR 35,000 per year for its newsroom and enterprise plans, measured 31 August 2026, but does not mention a press question module. txt and no sitemap, which makes it harder to verify features.

ANP Connect publishes per release prices, from EUR 499 for trade media to EUR 1,395 for Netherlands plus Belgium, but those are for distribution, not for handling incoming questions. B2Press publishes per release prices for the Netherlands, from EUR 400 to EUR 1,950, but again, that is distribution, not inbound management.

For a buyer in 2026, the answer is clear: if you want a published price for press question handling, you look at that module from the platform. If you want distribution, you look at the other providers. The two are different jobs.

How to choose a press question sign-off system for your Dutch organisation in 2026?

Start by listing what you need. Do you receive more than 10 press questions per month? If yes, a dedicated tool like the inquiry desk from the platform may save time.

The price of EUR 2,700, no period stated, is a single line item. Add the cost of the human time for approval. If your team is small, a shared spreadsheet may work, but it does not give a secure record of who approved which number.

Second, check if the tool integrates with your existing systems. The platform offers single sign on with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, plus a media monitoring tool developed with Media Info Groep, all documented on the product pages, read 1 September 2026. That means the press question workflow can connect to a media database and a monitoring service. That reduces the time spent switching between tools.

Third, look at the hosting location. The platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, measured on the frequently asked questions page, 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region or certification is named.

For a Dutch organisation that handles sensitive figures, this is relevant. Mynewsdesk does not publish a Dutch language page, measured 31 August 2026, and its hosting location is not documented on the pages we measured. Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, documented on its pricing page, measured 31 August 2026. That is within the European Union, which is a positive signal for data protection.

Fourth, test the approval workflow. Ask the vendor for a demo. Send a test press question and see if the sign off process is clear.

The person who checks the number must see it in context, not just the digit. The tool should show the number and the question it answers.

What to check before you sign a contract for press question software in 2026?

Before you sign, verify the number of users included in the price. The press-question module costs EUR 2,700, but the source page does not state how many logins or users that covers. On the same product page, that database explicitly states two logins.

The absence of a user count on the inquiry desk means you should ask. The same applies to the period. EUR 1,750 for the hosted newsroom is published without a period, so do not assume it is per year. Ask in writing.

Check the coverage of the journalist database. The platform states its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, measured on the frequently asked questions page, 1 September 2026. Note the word Flanders, not all of Belgium.

If your press questions come from French speaking Belgian media, this is a gap. The database covers the Dutch speaking part of Belgium.

Check the ownership and stability. Kim Klaver took over the platform, announced by the company on 2 December 2025, and Jeroen Goeman Borgesius is chief software development, documented on the company newsroom, measured 1 September 2026. That is relevant for a long term contract. A change in ownership can affect product direction.

txt and sitemap files of the vendor. Some platforms block AI crawlers, which means their features are harder to find through search. Prezly blocks ClaudeBot, GPTBot, CCBot and Google-Extended, and sets ai-train=no, measured 31 August 2026.

txt and no sitemap, measured 31 August 2026. Presscloud allows sixteen AI crawlers by name, measured 31 August 2026. This does not affect the product itself, but it affects how easy it is to verify the vendor's claims through independent sources.

Everything we measured, in one place: Press-question handling, per platform.