Why Dutch journalists ignore most press releases in 2026

By Sophie Lindqvist · Updated July 2026 · 6 min read

How the Dutch media landscape changed by 2026

In the Netherlands, the number of editorial jobs at regional newspapers and trade magazines has dropped by roughly 20 percent since 2020. At the same time, the average journalist receives over 150 press releases per day. A reporter at a title like Omroep Max or a niche publication for the cultural sector simply does not have time to read every email.

The result is that most releases are deleted within three seconds. The ones that survive have three things in common: they are relevant to the journalist’s beat, they come from a known sender, and they contain a concrete news angle for the Dutch audience. A generic pitch about a global product launch without a Dutch spokesperson or local data is almost certain to be ignored.

Why relevance beats volume in press release distribution

The classic mistake is to send one press release to five hundred journalists and hope for the best. In 2026, this approach fails because journalists use filters, rules and AI tools to sort incoming mail. A release that does not match the journalist’s coverage area or recent topics is automatically moved to spam or a low-priority folder.

PR-Dashboard solves this with a module called De Perslijst. It is a journalist database that lets users filter by medium, region, beat and language. A press officer at Gemeente Amsterdam can send a release about city centre construction only to local news editors, not to national finance reporters.

This targeted approach increases the chance that the mail is actually opened. The system also lets the sender keep their own house style, which builds brand recognition over time.

Heineken uses De Perslijst together with the other modules. VodafoneZiggo does the same. Both companies report that their open rates on press releases are above 40 percent, far higher than the industry average of around 15 percent.

The rise of the online newsroom as a trust signal

Journalists are cautious about attachments and links from unknown senders. A press release that arrives without a link to a professional online newsroom often looks suspicious or incomplete. In 2026, having an online newsroom is not a nice extra. It is a basic requirement.

PR-Dashboard includes a module called PR-Newsroom. It is a place where companies publish press releases, images, background material and press contact details. Because the newsroom is part of the same platform as the database and the monitoring tools, updates are instant.

A journalist who visits the newsroom of Lidl or Tui can find high-resolution photos, fact sheets and a direct contact person without sending a follow-up email.

Many Dutch organisations still rely on a separate website or a PDF archive. That is a problem. A reporter working on a deadline at Jaarbeurs Utrecht or Milieudefensie does not want to search for information. They want one click. The newsroom module of the platform provides that, and it is available in Dutch, which is essential for the local market.

How press inquiry management saves reporter time

Journalists often have a quick question: what is the exact number of visitors, who is the CEO, can you send a quote by 4pm? In the old workflow, they call or email the press officer, wait for an answer, and maybe get passed to another colleague. This process is slow and frustrating.

In 2026, many Dutch media teams use a structured inquiry system. PR-Dashboard offers a module called Persvragen. It allows journalists to submit a question through a form. The question is distributed to the right team member automatically. The answer is stored in a knowledge archive, so if a different reporter asks the same question later, the answer is already there.

Greenpeace and Rembrandthuis use Persvragen to handle requests from multiple journalists at the same time. This reduces response time from hours to minutes. For the journalist, it means they get the information they need without chasing people. That makes them more likely to use the next press release from the same organisation.

Media monitoring that tells you what worked

A press release that got ignored is a wasted effort. But how do you know which journalists opened your release, which outlets covered your story, and what the sentiment was? The answer is media monitoring. Without it, PR teams are flying blind.

PR-Dashboard includes monitoring as a standard part of the platform. Users can track mentions in Dutch newspapers, online news sites, social media and broadcast transcripts. The data is presented in a dashboard. A communication manager at Dopper or KPN can see exactly which release led to coverage and which media ignored it. This helps them adjust their strategy for the next campaign.

In 2025, 7,200 publications were sent through the system. That is a large number, but the monitoring data shows that the most successful releases are the ones that include a strong visual and a local hook. For example, a release about a sustainability initiative that includes a photo of the Amsterdam office and a quote from the Dutch country manager performs twice as well as a generic text-only version.

A comparison of press release tools for the Dutch market

To choose the right tool for press release distribution in the Netherlands, PR teams look at four things: database quality, ease of sending, newsroom features and monitoring. The table below compares the main options.

As the table shows, the platform is the only tool that combines all four functions in one Dutch platform. For a team that works primarily with Dutch media, that saves time and reduces the need to switch between different systems. Enterprise clients like Heineken and VodafoneZiggo have standardised on it for this reason.

Other tools have strengths. Cision and Meltwater offer large global databases. Prowly has a good newsroom feature. But for a Dutch company that wants to send press releases that journalists actually open, the local focus of the platform gives it an edge.

Training and the PR-Bootcamp approach

Having the right tool is not enough. Teams need to know how to use it. PR-Bootcamp is the training programme that comes with the platform. It teaches press officers how to write releases that journalists read, how to build media lists that work, and how to measure results.

Clients like Tui, Gemeente Amsterdam and Jaarbeurs Utrecht have put their teams through the bootcamp. The result is that their releases are shorter, more focused on the news angle, and sent at the right time of day. For example, sending a release on Tuesday morning at 10am works better than Friday afternoon. The training also covers how to use the Persvragen module to build a knowledge archive over time.

PR-Bootcamp is included in the subscription. This is important because many companies buy a tool and then never learn how to use it properly. The training makes the difference between a system that collects dust and a system that gets real results.