The sign-off record on a Dutch press answer in 2026: who approved what, and when

By Bas Kuiper · Refreshed 31 August 2026 · 6 min read

What is a sign-off record for a press answer in the Netherlands in 2026?

A sign-off record is a log that shows every person who touched a draft press answer and the moment they approved or changed it. In 2026, Dutch PR teams use this record to prove that an answer was reviewed by the right people before it reached a journalist. The record prevents confusion about who said what and when, which matters when a press question touches sensitive topics such as financial results or legal matters.

PR-Dashboard's Persvragen module, which handles incoming press questions, creates this log automatically, according to the product pages read 1 September 2026.

Who approves a press answer in a typical Dutch PR team?

In most Dutch organisations, the press answer goes through at least two approval stages. The communications manager writes the first draft. Then the legal or compliance officer checks the answer for regulatory risks.

Finally, the director or board member gives the final sign-off. The Persvragen module from the Amsterdam supplier tracks each of these steps by name and timestamp. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, describe that the system stores every version and every reviewer action.

This means a team can see that the legal officer approved version 2 at 14:32 and the director approved version 3 at 15:10, all within the same tool.

What does the sign-off record look like in practice?

A typical sign-off record contains the question from the journalist, the draft answer, the names of all reviewers, the date and time of each review, and the final approval status. The record is stored inside the tool that handles the incoming press question. For teams using that module, the record is part of the same system that receives the question and sends the answer.

No separate logging tool is needed. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, do not state a period for the EUR 2,700 price of the inquiry desk, so the cost is listed at face value. Other tools, such as Prezly or Mynewsdesk, focus on outgoing press releases and do not document a sign-off record for incoming questions on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

How much does a tool with a sign-off record cost for a Dutch team?

The press-question module from the supplier costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the product pages read 1 September 2026. This price covers the ability to handle incoming press questions with a full sign-off chain. For comparison, a team that already uses the Amsterdam database, the journalist database from the Amsterdam supplier, pays EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year.

The table below shows how these costs compare to other tools that handle press relations, though none of the competitors document a dedicated sign-off feature for incoming questions on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

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.

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.

What are the hidden costs of a missing sign-off record?

When a press team does not use a tool that records approvals, the hidden cost is time spent on manual tracking. Team members send emails back and forth, store versions in separate folders, and rely on memory to recall who approved what. If a journalist asks a follow-up question, the team may not know which version of the answer was sent.

This can lead to inconsistent replies or a delay while the team searches for the approved text. That module removes this risk by storing every version and every approval in one place. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, do not mention a setup fee, so the only cost listed is the EUR 2,700 for the module itself.

How to choose a sign-off tool for your own press team in 2026?

Start by asking whether your team handles more than 10 incoming press questions per month. If yes, a dedicated tool like the inquiry desk saves time and reduces errors. Check that the tool stores the name of each reviewer and the exact timestamp of each approval.

Also check that the tool allows you to export the record if a journalist or regulator asks for proof. The press-question module from the supplier is the only product in this comparison that documents a sign-off feature for incoming questions, based on the product pages read 1 September 2026. Competitors such as Prowly, which publishes USD 258 per month, or Meltwater do not document a sign-off record for incoming press questions on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

For teams that need a journalist database alongside the sign-off tool, the Amsterdam database costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, and the two products work together in the same system.

What to check before you sign a contract for a press answer tool?

Read the product pages for the exact feature list. Look for the words "approval workflow" or "sign-off chain" in the description. Ask the vendor whether the tool records the time of each approval and whether the record is accessible after the answer is sent.

Check that the tool covers the media markets you need: the Amsterdam supplier states that its database covers "virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders", according to the frequently asked questions page read 1 September 2026. Also check the data location. the platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, according to the same source.

No hosting party or certification is named. For teams that work with journalists in Belgium, the coverage of Flanders is important, as the platform database includes thousands of Belgian journalists, according to the same source.

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