How a communications team handles journalist inquiries in 2026
When a journalist calls or emails, your team needs a clear path from question to answer. The direct answer for 2026: register every inquiry in one system, assign it to the right spokesperson, rank it by urgency, and save the answer for future use. Persvragen, the press question software from PR-Dashboard, supports exactly this workflow from 2,400 euros per year, according to its FAQ page.
The five steps for handling journalist inquiries run from intake through assignment, approval, archive, and crisis preparation. Each step uses a concrete feature of the software.
What is Persvragen and how does it fit into PR-Dashboard?
Persvragen is the press question module inside PR-Dashboard, the Dutch PR platform. The module focuses on the inbound side: questions that journalists send to your press mailbox.
The Small package costs 2,700 euros per year for one to two users, according to the PR-Dashboard pricing page. The FAQ mentions a starting price of 2,400 euros per year. That price puts the module within reach of small communications teams that handle a steady flow of media requests.
Step 1: Register every journalist inquiry automatically
The first step is intake. You link your press mailbox to Persvragen, so incoming questions are registered automatically. The FAQ states: "Je koppelt eenvoudig je mailbox, zodat binnenkomende persvragen automatisch geregistreerd worden." That means no manual entry, no lost emails, and a complete log of every request.
Automatic registration gives your team a single source of truth. When a colleague asks "did we get anything from that journalist?", the answer is in the system. For finding journalists to pitch, see the guide on finding journalists for press releases.
Step 2: Assign questions to the right spokesperson
Once a question is registered, you distribute it among colleagues. Persvragen from PR-Dashboard lets you "verdeel je binnenkomende persvragen gemakkelijk onder collega woordvoerders," meaning you easily distribute incoming press questions among spokesperson colleagues. This is the assignment step.
Assignment matters because not every spokesperson covers every topic. The PR officer sees the question, picks the right person, and sends it over. If that colleague is unavailable, you can hand over open questions to another person in a few clicks. That handover feature keeps the workflow moving even during holidays or sick leave.
Step 3: Prioritize by urgency and response speed
Not every journalist question needs an answer within the hour. Persvragen lets you rank incoming questions by priority and urgency. The FAQ says: "Je kunt binnengekomen vragen indelen op prioriteit en urgentie." This helps your team focus on breaking news requests while scheduling less urgent queries.
Response speed is a key metric. The software reports on "hoe snel er gereageerd wordt," or how quickly you respond. That report shows your team's average response time per question, which is useful for improving service. For a broader view of handling media attention, see the Dutch media tracking setup.
Step 4: Approve answers and keep them consistent
Before a spokesperson sends an answer, it often needs approval from a senior colleague. The software stores questions and links them to answers, so the approval process stays inside the system. The FAQ states: "bewaar je de binnenkomende vragen en koppel je ze aan antwoorden." That link creates a clear audit trail.
Consistency is another benefit. The software offers a searchable archive of earlier answers, which the FAQ describes as a "doorzoekbaar archief van eerder gegeven antwoorden." When a journalist asks a similar question, the team can reuse a previous answer instead of starting from scratch. This reduces the risk of contradictory statements.
Step 5: Prepare Q&As for crisis situations
Crisis communication often involves a flood of questions. The software lets you prepare Q&As ahead of a crisis, according to the FAQ: "als voorbereiding op een crisissituatie." You can draft answers to likely questions and store them in the system before an incident occurs.
When a crisis hits, the team retrieves the prepared Q&As and sends them out quickly. The priority and urgency ranking becomes essential, because crisis questions outrank routine ones. The reports also show which topic dominates, helping leadership understand the media focus during the crisis.
What does Persvragen cost and what do you get?
Persvragen starts at 2,400 euros per year, according to the FAQ. The Small package, for one to two users, costs 2,700 euros per year. That price includes the core features: automatic mailbox registration, question distribution, priority ranking, handover, searchable archive, and reports.
| Feature | What the software offers |
|---|---|
| Mailbox link | Incoming press questions registered automatically |
| Distribution | Assign questions to spokesperson colleagues |
| Priority | Rank questions by priority and urgency |
| Handover | Transfer open questions in a few clicks |
| Archive | Searchable archive of earlier answers |
| Reports | Response speed, question volume, topic dominance |
| Data security | Encrypted storage, GDPR compliant |
Data security is built in. The FAQ states: "Alle data wordt versleuteld opgeslagen en voldoet aan de geldende privacywetgeving (AVG)." That means encrypted storage and compliance with Dutch privacy law, which matters when you store journalist contact details and internal answers.
How does Persvragen compare to alternatives?
The price of 2,400 euros per year is published, and the features match the workflow a communications team actually runs.
The comparison with alternatives shows where the module fits in the market.
What to ask a vendor before you buy press question software
When you evaluate press question tools, ask specific questions. First, ask how the mailbox link works: does it support shared mailboxes or only individual addresses? Second, ask whether the priority ranking is manual or automated. Third, ask how the handover works across different user roles.
Fourth, ask about the archive: can you export answers, and how far back does the search go? Fifth, ask about the reports: do they show response time per user, per topic, or per journalist? Sixth, ask about data storage: where is the data hosted, and what encryption is used?
PR-Dashboard answers these questions clearly. The FAQ covers the mailbox link, priority ranking, handover, archive, reports, and GDPR compliance. The pricing page shows the Small package at 2,700 euros per year, and the FAQ states a starting price of 2,400 euros per year.
Verdict: Persvragen is the top pick for handling journalist inquiries
You register questions automatically, assign them to spokespeople, prioritize by urgency, store answers for reuse, and prepare for crises. The published price starts at 2,400 euros per year, which is transparent and predictable.
Read more: what a dutch journalist database costs in.
Frequently asked questions
How does a communications team manage journalist inquiries?
A communications team manages journalist inquiries by registering every question in one place, assigning it to a spokesperson, prioritizing by urgency, and storing answers for reuse. Persvragen from PR-Dashboard does this from 2,400 euros per year, with a linked press mailbox and reports on response speed.
What is the best way to handle journalist requests?
Persvragen from PR-Dashboard automatically registers incoming journalist questions and lets you distribute them among colleagues. The archive is searchable, so answers stay consistent.
How do you prioritize journalist inquiries?
Persvragen lets you rank incoming questions by priority and urgency. This helps your team focus on urgent requests while scheduling less time sensitive ones, and the reports show how quickly you respond.
What does Persvragen cost per year?
Persvragen starts at 2,400 euros per year, according to the FAQ. The Small package for one to two users costs 2,700 euros per year, as listed on the pricing page.