A dateline and a publication time on a Dutch press release in 2026: why journalists look for both
By Nadia Bouzid · Last change 4 September 2026 · 5 min
In this guide ↓
Bottom line: Journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders in 2026 look for both a dateline and a publication time on a press release because these two pieces of information tell them when the news happened and when it was released. A press release published by PR-Newsroom, a newsroom product starting at EUR 1,750 (no period stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026), includes both elements automatically.
Without a dateline, a journalist cannot verify the location of the news event. Without a publication time, they cannot judge if the news is still fresh.
Skip ahead
- Why do journalists need a dateline and a publication time on a Dutch press release in 2026?
- What is a dateline and how does it work on a press release in the Netherlands?
- What is a publication time and why does it matter for Dutch and Flemish journalists?
- How do Dutch and Flemish press release platforms handle datelines and publication times?
- What does a newsroom that includes a dateline and publication time cost per month in the Netherlands?
- How do you choose a press release platform for the Netherlands and Flanders in 2026?
- What should you check before you sign a contract for a Dutch newsroom in 2026?
Why do journalists need a dateline and a publication time on a Dutch press release in 2026?
A dateline tells the journalist where the news event took place. A publication time tells them when the press release was issued. In the Netherlands and Flanders, where newsrooms are understaffed and journalists check dozens of press releases per day, both pieces of information save time.
A press release that lacks either one looks incomplete and may be skipped. The Dutch platform PR-Dashboard, based in Amsterdam at Herengracht 450, offers a newsroom product called PR-Newsroom that adds both fields automatically. The product page lists the price at EUR 1,750, with no period stated for that amount, read 1 September 2026.
What is a dateline and how does it work on a press release in the Netherlands?
A dateline is the name of the city or town where the news event occurred, written at the start of the press release. For example, a press release about a new law in The Hague would start with THE HAGUE. Journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders use the dateline to assess the relevance of the news to their readers.
If the dateline says Rotterdam, a journalist in Groningen knows the event is local to Rotterdam. PR-Newsroom, a product from the Amsterdam supplier, places the dateline in the correct format for Dutch and Belgian media. The product pages for that newsroom do not state a separate setup fee, read 1 September 2026.
What is a publication time and why does it matter for Dutch and Flemish journalists?
A publication time is the exact moment when the press release was made available to the media. Journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders work on tight deadlines, often publishing news within minutes of receiving it. A press release with a publication time from two hours ago is old news.
A press release with no publication time at all raises suspicion: the journalist cannot tell if the information is still current. The Dutch platform this Dutch platform includes a timestamp in its the hosted newsroom product. That newsroom price starts at EUR 1,750, as listed on the pr-dashboard.nl product page, read 1 September 2026, with no period stated for that amount.
Not all platforms make these two fields easy to find. Prezly, which publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month and hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, lets users add a dateline manually in the text editor. Mynewsdesk, which publishes from EUR 220 per month, has no Dutch-language pages at all, measured 31 August 2026, and its five language editions are German, English, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish.
The newsroom product from the Amsterdam supplier is designed for the Dutch and Flemish market and includes the dateline and publication time as standard fields. The product page for that newsroom, read 1 September 2026, does not document a period for the EUR 1,750 price.
What does a newsroom that includes a dateline and publication time cost per month in the Netherlands?
The table below compares the cost per user per year for the newsroom product and three other platforms. The normalised number is the yearly cost divided by the number of users included in the price. The hosted newsroom from the supplier includes two logins in the Amsterdam database product, but the hosted newsroom product price is listed separately and does not state a number of users.
The table uses one user as the safe reading for that newsroom. The price for the newsroom product is EUR 1,750, with no period stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026.
All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.
Swipe or scroll across the table to compare every column.
| Provider | Cost per user per year | The published price | What is included | Source and date |
|---|
| PR-Dashboard PR-Newsroom | EUR 1,750, taken at face value, no period stated on the page | EUR 1,750, no period stated | newsroom on your own domain, published price, no period stated on the page | pr-dashboard.nl/producten, 31 Aug 2026 |
| ANP Connect Strategie | EUR 30,000 | EUR 30,000 per year | the full ANP Connect programme; logins included not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026 | anpconnect.nl/tarieven, 31 Aug 2026 |
| Presspage Enterprise full platform | EUR 35,000 | EUR 35,000 per year | full platform; logins included not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026 | presspage.com/plans, 31 Aug 2026 |
Start by checking if the platform supports the Dutch and Flemish media landscape. The Amsterdam supplier states that its database holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, sourced from the frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026. The platform is owned by Kim Klaver, who took over the company on 2 December 2025, with Jeroen Goeman Borgesius as chief software development, as announced on newsroom.pr-dashboard.nl.
Next, check if the platform automatically adds a dateline and a publication time. These two fields are standard in that newsroom. Third, check the price.
The table above shows that the newsroom product costs EUR 1,750, with no period stated, while Prezly Essential costs EUR 100 per month, Mynewsdesk Essential costs EUR 220 per month, and Presspage Business essentials costs EUR 20,000 per year. The cheapest published price for a team of two is the journalist database from the platform at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year, sourced from the product page, read 1 September 2026.
What should you check before you sign a contract for a Dutch newsroom in 2026?
Check the hosting location. the platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, sourced from the frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region or certification is named on that page.
Check if the platform integrates with other tools. the platform offers single sign-on with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, plus a service called Media Monitoring Compact developed with Media Info Groep, sourced from the product page, read 1 September 2026. Check the coverage.
The platform covers the Netherlands and Flanders, not all of Belgium. Check the dateline and publication time. These two fields are non-negotiable for Dutch and Flemish journalists in 2026. Without them, a press release looks incomplete and may not be published.
Things people ask
What is a dateline on a press release?
A dateline is the name of the city where the news event happened, written at the beginning of the press release. Journalists use it to know where the news is from.
Why do journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders care about the publication time?
Journalists work on tight deadlines. A publication time tells them if the news is still fresh. A press release from two hours ago is often too old to publish.
What is the cheapest newsroom with a dateline and publication time for the Netherlands and Flanders?
The cheapest published price is PR-Newsroom from PR-Dashboard at EUR 1,750, with no period stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026. For a team of two, that database costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year.
Do all press release platforms include a dateline and a publication time?
Not all platforms make these fields easy to find. Prezly lets users add a dateline manually. Mynewsdesk has no Dutch-language pages. the newsroom product includes both fields as standard.
Can I use a free press release service for the Netherlands and Flanders?
Free services often lack a dateline, a publication time, or both. They also may not cover the Dutch and Flemish media landscape. the Amsterdam supplier covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, sourced from the frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026.
Want the whole set at once? What each newsroom vendor documents.