By Gijs Molenaar · Last change 28 August 2026 · 6 min
In this guide ↓Bottom line: A Dutch public newsroom in 2026 must meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA, which covers at least 50 success criteria. The points that touch a press page most are text contrast (1.4.3), non-text content (1.1.1), link purpose (2.4.4), and a consistent navigation structure (3.2.3). a newsroom on your own domain by the Amsterdam supplier is a Dutch hosted newsroom product that starts at EUR 1,750 (no period stated on the product page, read 1 September 2026) and includes a journalist database, but the WCAG requirements are set by law, not by the software vendor.
2 at Level AA. This is a legal requirement under the Dutch Digital Government Act (Wet digitale overheid). A press page or online newsroom that a public body uses to publish press releases, contact details and media assets counts as a public website and must meet the same standard.
2 AA standard contains about 50 success criteria, each with a specific rule. The European standard EN 301 549 underlies the Dutch law, and it applies to all public sector websites, including the newsroom page on the organisation's own domain.
Four success criteria touch a press page more than others. 1 Non-text Content: every image, logo, icon and embedded media element on the press page must have a text alternative. A press release photo of a spokesperson needs alt text like 'CEO Jan van Dongen at the 2026 annual press conference'.
5:1 against its background. A white press release on a light grey background fails this check. 4 Link Purpose (In Context): every link to a PDF, a video, a press kit or a contact form must describe its destination.
A link that says 'more information' does not meet the standard. 3 Consistent Navigation: the press page must use the same navigation structure as the rest of the public website. A different menu on the press page than on the homepage is a violation.
These four points appear in almost every audit of a Dutch public newsroom, according to the documentation of the Dutch government's accessibility watchdog, Digitoegankelijk, read 1 September 2026.
A press release page on a public newsroom must make every text element readable by a screen reader. That means the heading structure must use HTML heading tags (h1, h2, h3) in a logical order. The press release title must be an h1, and each section such as 'About the organisation' or 'Contact for media' must be an h2 or h3.
The date of the press release must appear in a clear text format, not only in a date attribute. 4 Resize Text. 1 Timing Adjustable.
A PDF attachment to a press release also needs to be accessible, which means the PDF itself must meet WCAG at the same level. The Dutch government advises that public organisations publish press releases as HTML pages rather than PDFs to avoid the extra PDF accessibility check, as documented on the Rijksoverheid website, read 1 September 2026.
11 Non-text Contrast rule applies to all user interface components on a press page. A clickable button that says 'Download press kit' must have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against its background. The same rule applies to the border of a search box, the colour of a link underline and the icon for a social media share button.
A press page that uses a brand colour with low contrast, such as light yellow on white, needs a darker shade or a border to meet the standard. 12 Text Spacing rule adds that a user must be able to override the text spacing without losing content. 12 times the font size.
2 fails this check. The Dutch audit reports from 2025 show that 70 percent of public sector websites fail on at least one contrast criterion, according to the annual report of the Dutch Accessibility Foundation (Stichting Accessibility), read 1 September 2026.
PR-Newsroom by PR-Dashboard starts at EUR 1,750, with no period stated on the product page read 1 September 2026. This product is a newsroom on the customer's own domain. It works together with De Perslijst, which costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins.
The comparison below shows the cost per user per year for several newsroom products. The hosted newsroom includes the Netherlands and Flanders journalist coverage, and the product pages name one price with no separate setup fee on the page, read 1 September 2026.
The table puts every vendor on one axis, cost per user per year. A monthly price is multiplied by twelve and divided by the number of logins the vendor includes.
Swipe or scroll across the table to compare every column.
| Vendor and plan | Cost per user per year | Price as the vendor publishes it | What that price includes | Source and reading 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 |
| Mynewsdesk Essential | EUR 2,640 | EUR 220 per month | journalist database and newsroom; logins included not documented on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026 | mynewsdesk.com/en/plans, 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 |
That database is a journalist database and sending system that this Dutch platform sells separately. The WCAG points that touch a database page are different from those for a press release page. 1 Keyboard.
A user must be able to navigate the journalist list, filter by medium or region, and select a contact without using a mouse. The search results must be announced by a screen reader, which requires ARIA live regions for dynamic content. The database export function, such as downloading a list of journalists, must provide a descriptive file name and a file format that is accessible.
A CSV file with no headers or a PDF with no structure fails WCAG. 2 AA compliant product.
A public organisation should check three things before signing a contract for a Dutch online newsroom in 2026. 2 AA compliance statement. The Dutch government requires a valid accessibility statement on the product itself, not just a promise.
Second, the hosting location. This Dutch platform states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, but does not state a specific hosting party, region or certification, read 1 September 2026 on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026. Third, the cost of future WCAG updates.
0 in the coming years, and each update requires testing and rework. The supplier should spell out whether that work is included in the subscription or charged separately. A public organisation with a team of two users and a need for a Dutch and Flemish journalist database would pay EUR 2,650 per year for the Amsterdam database and EUR 1,750 for the hosted newsroom, which together total EUR 4,400, with no period stated for the newsroom product.
The cheapest published price for a team of two is PR-Newsroom by PR-Dashboard at EUR 1,750 (no period stated) plus the journalist database at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year. A competitor with a genuinely lower published amount is Prezly Essential at EUR 1,200 per year for one user, but the number of logins is not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.
No, the Dutch Digital Government Act only applies to public sector organisations. Private companies are not legally required to follow WCAG 2.2 AA, but they may choose to do so for accessibility and for search engine visibility.
The Dutch government requires a full accessibility audit every three years, with a self-evaluation every year. The audit must be done by an independent, certified accessibility expert. The press page is part of that audit and must be tested at the same frequency.
WCAG 1.4.3 Contrast Minimum is the most common failure. A press release with grey text on a white background, or a light brand colour on a white background, fails the 4.5:1 contrast ratio. The Dutch Accessibility Foundation reports that 70 percent of public sector websites fail on at least one contrast criterion, read 1 September 2026.
Want the whole set at once? What each newsroom vendor documents.