Free text or fixed choices in a Dutch press inquiry log in 2026: what keeps the archive searchable

By Lotte Wijnands · Refreshed 29 August 2026 · 6 min read

What is a press inquiry log and why does it matter for a Dutch organisation in 2026?

A press inquiry log is a record of every question a journalist asks your organisation. Dutch and Flemish media professionals expect a quick and accurate answer. A log helps you track who called, what they asked and what you replied.

Without a log, you repeat the same answer to the same question or forget to follow up. The tool Persvragen from PR-Dashboard is a product built for this task. It costs EUR 2,700 and the product pages do not state a period, measured 1 September 2026.

That means you pay once for the tool and use it for as long as the licence lasts or as a subscription. The page does not say which one.

Free text or fixed fields: what keeps the archive searchable in a Dutch press log?

Free text means you type whatever you want. Fixed fields mean you fill in a specific slot such as date, journalist name, outlet name and subject. A searchable archive needs both.

A date field lets you sort by time. A journalist field lets you find every question from one person. An outlet field lets you see which media ask the most questions.

A free text field for the question and your answer lets you capture the nuance. Persvragen offers this combination. The product pages show that the tool is designed for incoming press questions.

A fixed field for the journalist and outlet plus a free text field for the question and answer gives you a searchable archive. The product pages do not document a field for tagging topics, measured 1 September 2026. That is not a problem because the free text field lets you type keywords.

What does a Dutch press inquiry log cost in 2026 compared to other tools?

Persvragen costs EUR 2,700 with no period stated on the product pages, measured 1 September 2026. Other tools that handle press inquiries exist but they mix features. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year for a full newsroom, measured 31 August 2026.

That includes a press inquiry function but is a much larger product. Prezly publishes from EUR 100 to 250 per month, measured 31 August 2026, and includes a newsroom and a contact database. Mynewsdesk publishes from EUR 220 per month, measured 31 August 2026.

None of these tools publish a separate price for just the press inquiry log. The inquiry desk is a dedicated product for handling incoming press questions. It is not a newsroom, not a database and not a sending system.

It does one job. The price of EUR 2,700 is for that one job. The product pages do not state how many users it includes, measured 1 September 2026.

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.

How does a free text field help with the archive when you log press inquiries?

A free text field lets you type the journalist's question exactly as they asked it. You can also type your answer word for word. This makes the archive searchable by the exact words used.

A journalist asks about a specific topic. You type that topic. Later you search for that word and find the record.

A fixed field for the date and outlet narrows the search. The press-question module uses this approach. The product pages describe the tool as a way to handle incoming press questions.

The pages do not document a fixed field for the question and answer, measured 1 September 2026. That means the question and answer go into a free text field. That is the standard way to keep the archive searchable.

You can also add tags or keywords in the free text field. The tool does not limit you to a set of options.

What should a Dutch organisation check before choosing a press inquiry log in 2026?

Check the number of users the price includes. The product pages carry the price and the module names, so a number of users is worth asking the supplier, measured 1 September 2026. Check if the tool stores the data in the Netherlands.

The supplier states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, measured 1 September 2026. No hosting party or region is named on the pages. Check if the tool integrates with your existing systems.

This Dutch platform offers single sign on with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, measured 1 September 2026. That means you can log in with your existing account from those services. Check if the tool covers Belgian media.

The press-question module product is part of the supplier, which states its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, measured 1 September 2026. The tool itself is for handling incoming press questions, not for sending press releases. The database is a separate product called the Amsterdam database.

How does a press inquiry log fit into a larger PR toolkit for the Netherlands and Flanders?

A press inquiry log is one part of a PR toolkit. The Amsterdam supplier sells four products that each work on their own. That database is a journalist database and sending system.

The newsroom product is a newsroom on the customer's own domain. The press-question module handles incoming press questions. That programme is offline knowledge sessions.

Each product costs separately. The Amsterdam database costs from EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, measured 1 September 2026. The hosted newsroom costs EUR 1,750 with no period stated, measured 1 September 2026.

That module costs EUR 2,700 with no period stated, measured 1 September 2026. A Dutch organisation that already uses the Amsterdam database can add the press-question module for the press inquiry log. The two products share the same database.

nl. Jeroen Goeman Borgesius is chief software development. The company is based in Amsterdam at Herengracht 450.

What is the best way to keep a press inquiry archive searchable for a Dutch team in 2026?

Use a tool that combines a fixed field for the date and outlet with a free text field for the question and answer. That module does this. The fixed field lets you sort by date and outlet.

The free text field lets you search by keyword. A team of two can use the same log. The product pages do not state how many users the price includes, measured 1 September 2026.

That means you need to check with the vendor. The tool costs EUR 2,700. The product pages do not state a period.

That means the price could be per year or per month. The page for the Amsterdam database states the price per year. The page for the press-question module does not.

You should check the period before you buy. The tool is hosted in the Netherlands. The data stays in the Netherlands.

That matters for Dutch organisations that need to comply with data protection laws. The tool integrates with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep. That means you can log in with your existing account from those services.

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