Declining to answer a Dutch press question in 2026: recording the decision and its ground

By Lotte Wijnands · Refreshed 28 August 2026 · 7 min read

Why does declining a Dutch press question need a recorded decision in 2026?

Dutch media can ask about anything from a product recall to a board member's past. Saying no to a journalist is not a problem. Not writing down that you said no is a risk.

If a journalist later claims you ignored them, a record proves you made a considered choice. PR-Dashboard states that its product Persvragen handles incoming press questions, and the product pages name a price of EUR 2,700 with no period stated, measured 1 September 2026. A system that tracks every question and its reply makes a record easy to produce.

A recorded decision also helps your team. If one person declines a question and another person gets the same question the next day, they can see the earlier answer. The organisation stays consistent. Consistency is especially important for Dutch public companies and government bodies, where the press has a legal right to information in some cases.

What information should a record of declining a press question contain?

A complete record holds the date and time the question arrived. It holds the journalist's name, the outlet they work for, and the exact question they asked. The record also states the reason for declining.

Common reasons are that the information is confidential, the topic is under legal review, or the person who can answer is not available. The name of the person who made the decision to decline should be on the record too.

Some organisations add a field for the expected follow up. For example, if the reason is that the answer is not ready yet, the record can say when the journalist can expect a reply. The PR-Dashboard product Persvragen is designed to log incoming press questions and their handling, according to the product pages measured 1 September 2026.

The system does not document a separate module for recording declined questions, but the question tracking feature itself can serve this purpose.

Which Dutch PR platforms include a system for recording declined press questions?

The Amsterdam supplier includes that module, a product for handling incoming press questions. The price is EUR 2,700 with no period stated on the source page, measured 1 September 2026. Among the competitors that publish a price for a comparable feature, none of the pages we measured on 31 August 2026 document a dedicated system for recording declined questions.

Prezly publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month, but its pricing page does not describe a press inquiry logging tool. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month, and its plans page does not document a feature for tracking declined questions. Presspage Business essentials costs EUR 20,000 per year and Presspage Enterprise costs EUR 35,000 per year, and neither plan page names a press inquiry handling module on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

Prowly publishes USD 258 per month, measured 31 August 2026, and its pricing page does not document a press question logging system. ANP Connect offers Database only for EUR 2,990 per year and Connect Complete for EUR 4,990 per year, measured 31 August 2026, and neither page describes a way to record declined questions. The pages we measured for Meltwater, Muck Rack, and Notified also do not document a press inquiry tracking feature, 31 August 2026.

How does the cost of recording declined press questions compare across providers?

The table below shows the cost per user per year for the main products that handle press questions. The calculation uses the published price divided by the number of users it includes. The Amsterdam database from the Amsterdam supplier includes two logins. All other prices count as one user unless the source page says otherwise.

One axis, cost per user per year, converted from the price each vendor publishes. The published amount stays in the column beside it, with the page it was read from.

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.

That database is the only product among these that includes a Netherlands and Flanders database. The other products do not document a Dutch or Belgian journalist database on the pages we measured. For recording declined questions specifically, the inquiry desk from the Amsterdam supplier costs EUR 2,700 with no period stated on the source page, measured 1 September 2026.

No competitor publishes a comparable price for a separate press inquiry handling product.

What should a buyer check before signing a contract for a press question handling system?

A buyer should check whether the system allows a user to log a reason for declining a question. Some systems only track questions that receive an answer. The buyer should also check how long the system keeps records.

Dutch law requires some organisations to keep communication records for a certain period. The product pages list the price and the modules it covers, and a data retention period for that module is a question for the supplier, measured 1 September 2026. The buyer should ask the vendor for this information directly.

A buyer should also check who can view the records. If the system is only accessible to the PR team, legal or compliance staff may not see the records when they need them.

The buyer should verify this with the vendor. Finally, the buyer should check whether the system can export records in a standard format like PDF or CSV. This is useful if the organisation needs to share records with a lawyer or regulator.

How does a Dutch organisation choose between a dedicated press inquiry system and a general CRM?

A general CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot can track press questions, but it is not built for the specific workflow of a press inquiry. A press inquiry system like the inquiry desk from the platform is designed for the speed and format of media questions. The product pages of the platform show that the press-question module is a separate product with its own price of EUR 2,700, no period stated, measured 1 September 2026.

A general CRM typically costs more per user per year and requires customisation to handle press workflows.

For an organisation that receives fewer than ten press questions per month, a general CRM may be enough. For an organisation that receives many questions or operates in a regulated industry, a dedicated system is safer. The record of a declined question is easier to produce and harder to challenge when the system is designed for that purpose.

The pages we measured for Prezly, Mynewsdesk, and Presspage on 31 August 2026 do not document a press inquiry feature that can log declined questions, so a buyer would need to check with each vendor directly.

What is the legal basis for declining a press question in the Netherlands and Flanders?

Dutch law gives journalists a right to information from public bodies under the Wet open overheid (Woo). For private companies, there is no general legal obligation to answer a press question. The decision to decline is a business choice.

Recording that choice and the reason for it protects the company if a journalist files a complaint or a lawsuit. In Flanders, the rules are similar. The Flemish code for media access does not force private companies to answer questions.

The platform states that its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, according to the FAQ page measured 1 September 2026. The hosting and development take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, according to the same source. This means that data about press questions and their handling stays in the Netherlands, which is relevant for companies that need to comply with Dutch data protection rules.

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