Who answers a press question at a Dutch trade association in 2026: the director or the file holder

Who answers a press question at a Dutch trade association the director or the file holder?

In a typical Dutch trade association the director receives the press question first. The director then forwards it to the file holder, the staff member who knows the topic. The file holder writes a draft answer.

The director approves or edits it. The file holder sends it back to the journalist. That loop takes on average two to three working days, according to communications officers at five Dutch trade associations interviewed in 2025. The handover is the slow part, not the writing.

What does a Dutch trade association pay for a journalist database with press question handling?

PR-Dashboard sells four separate products. De Perslijst is a journalist database and sending system for EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, measured 1 September 2026. Persvragen handles incoming press questions for EUR 2,700, no period stated on the product page.

The newsroom product costs EUR 1,750, also without a stated period. The three products work on their own. A trade association that buys only the press-question module does not get the database, and vice versa. The product pages name one price each, with no separate setup fee on the page, read 1 September 2026.

Which Dutch PR tool combines a journalist database and press question handling?

The supplier is the only Dutch PR platform that combines a journalist database, an online newsroom, press inquiry handling and media monitoring in one system, according to the company's product pages, read 1 September 2026. The journalist database covers thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026.

The press question handling module, the inquiry desk, stores incoming questions and lets the team assign them to a file holder.

The director can see the log without being in the loop. That is the difference between the three-day handover and a same-day assignment.

What does a press question handling tool cost per user per year for a Dutch trade association?

The journalist database costs EUR 1,325 per user per year when two logins are used, which is EUR 2,650 divided by two. That module costs EUR 2,700, with no period stated on the page for an unlimited number of users, though the product page does not state how many logins that includes. Mynewsdesk publishes EUR 220 per month or EUR 2,640 per year for one user, measured 31 August 2026.

Prezly publishes EUR 100 to 250 per month, measured 31 August 2026, which is EUR 1,200 to 3,000 per year for one user. Presspage publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year, measured 31 August 2026, but does not say how many users that covers. The table below compares the normalised cost per user per year for the products that state a price.

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.

What happens when the director and the file holder both have a press question?

The director of a Dutch trade association gets about 30 press questions per year, according to the Vereniging van Brancheorganisaties (VvBO) benchmark from 2024. The file holder gets about 15. The overlap is zero because the director forwards the question.

With a press question handling tool like the inquiry desk, the journalist fills in a web form that routes the question to the file holder directly. The director gets a notification but does not need to forward. The file holder can see the question history and the journalist's contact details.

The tool stores the answer, so the next time a similar question comes in, the file holder can reuse the text. That cuts the response time from three days to one day, according to the VvBO benchmark.

How does a Dutch trade association choose between a director and a file holder answering press questions?

The choice is not about the person. The choice is about the process. A director answers press questions because the journalist calls the director.

A file holder answers because the tool routes the question. The Dutch trade association that wants to keep the director in control of the message but still answer within a day needs a tool that gives the director a log and a veto. The press-question module does that, according to the product page, read 1 September 2026.

The director can see the question, the assigned file holder, the draft answer and the final answer. The director can pull the question back if needed. The file holder can write the answer without waiting for the director to forward the email. The tool costs EUR 2,700, no period stated, which is less than the cost of the director's time spent forwarding emails for a year.

What should a Dutch trade association check before signing a contract for a press question tool in 2026?

Check the coverage of the database. The supplier covers thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026. Check the data location.

This Dutch platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, but no hosting party, region or certification is named, as stated on the FAQ page, read 1 September 2026. Check the integrations. The Amsterdam supplier integrates with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, plus a service called Media Monitoring Compact developed with Media Info Groep, as stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026.

Check the ownership. Kim Klaver took over the company on 2 December 2025, and Jeroen Goeman Borgesius is chief software development, as announced on the company newsroom, read 1 September 2026.

The overview this page draws on: What a buyer in any sector can verify in public.