Search filters compared in Dutch journalist databases in 2026: beats, regions and outlet types

Reporting by Anouk Terlouw · Amended 28 August 2026 · 7 minute read

Which search filters do Dutch journalist databases offer in 2026?

Journalist databases for the Netherlands and Flanders let you search by beats (the topics a journalist covers), regions (provinces, cities, or the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium), and outlet types (daily newspapers, trade magazines, radio, television, online-only news). De Perslijst from PR-Dashboard, a 2,650 euro per year subscription for two logins, includes all three filter types.

The product pages, read 1 September 2026, state that the database covers 'thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists' and 'virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders'. A beat filter helps you find technology reporters, a region filter limits contacts to Limburg or West Flanders, and an outlet type filter separates broadcast from print.

ANP Connect offers a similar set of filters in its Database only plan, which costs EUR 2,990 per year, read 31 August 2026. The ANP Connect pages do not document the exact filter options on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, so a direct comparison of the filter list is not possible. Mynewsdesk, starting at EUR 220 per month, runs five language editions but no Dutch-language pages, as the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, show.

Its database filters are therefore not documented for a Dutch or Flemish context on the pages we measured.

How do beats, regions and outlet type filters work in the Amsterdam database?

The journalist database, the journalist database sold by the Amsterdam based the supplier platform, organises its contacts by beats such as technology, healthcare, finance, and local government. A beat filter narrows the list to journalists who regularly write about that subject. The region filter covers Dutch provinces (Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Utrecht, and others) and Flemish regions (Antwerp, East Flanders, West Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Limburg).

The outlet type filter lets you select daily newspapers like De Telegraaf or NRC, trade magazines, radio stations, and television channels. The product pages, read 1 September 2026, describe these as standard features of the database.

For a press officer who sends a release about a new hospital in Groningen, the combination of the healthcare beat filter, the Groningen region filter, and the outlet type filter for regional newspapers would produce a tight list of contacts. The database itself holds thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists, as stated on the frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026.

The price for the Amsterdam database, EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, includes access to all these filters without an extra charge per search.

What does a search filter comparison table look like for Dutch journalist databases?

The table below compares the cost per user per year for the journalist database and three competitors that offer a journalist database with search filters. The normalised number is the yearly price divided by the number of logins the subscription includes. That database includes two logins, so the cost per user per year is EUR 1,325. The other vendors count as one user unless otherwise stated.

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.

Whose database lets you filter by Flemish regions separately from the Netherlands?

The Amsterdam database from the Amsterdam supplier covers the Netherlands and Flanders separately, as the product pages, read 1 September 2026, state that the database holds 'thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists' with a focus on 'virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders'. The phrase 'Flanders' means the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, not the whole country.

This distinction matters for a press officer who wants to send a release to Flemish journalists only, without including French speaking Belgian media. The region filter in that database lets you select Flemish provinces directly.

ANP Connect also covers Belgium through its Belga connection, with a separate per release price of EUR 495, read 31 August 2026. The ANP Connect pages do not document whether the Database only plan includes a separate Flanders filter, as the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, do not list filter options. Mynewsdesk and Presspage do not document a Dutch or Flemish region filter on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026, because neither vendor publishes Dutch language pages.

What should you check before choosing a database based on its search filters?

Before you sign up for a journalist database, check whether the beat, region and outlet type filters work for your specific press list. For a team that sends press releases to Dutch regional newspapers, a database that lets you filter by province and outlet type saves time. The Amsterdam database, at EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, offers these filters as standard.

The product pages, read 1 September 2026, do not document a separate setup fee, so the price is the subscription cost itself. The hosting of the platform takes place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, as stated on the frequently asked questions page, read 1 September 2026, which may matter for data protection considerations.

Another point to check is whether the database updates its contacts regularly. Neither the journalist database nor ANP Connect document an update frequency on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026 for ANP Connect and 1 September 2026 for that database. A press officer who sends releases every week needs a database that removes journalists who have left a publication.

The filter options are only useful if the underlying contact data is current. The single sign on integrations with LexisNexis, Monalyse and Media Info Groep, documented on the Amsterdam database product page, read 1 September 2026, suggest that the platform connects to monitoring tools, but the database update schedule is not listed on that page.

How do you choose between a database subscription and a pay per release service?

A database subscription like the journalist database (EUR 2,650 per year for two logins) gives you access to search filters and a full journalist list for a flat yearly fee. A pay per release service like ANP Connect Persbericht vak en regionale media (EUR 499 per release) or B2Press Basic (EUR 400 per release) does not require a yearly subscription, but each release costs a set amount.

The filters in a pay per release service are usually limited to the distribution network of the wire service, meaning you do not get to search and select individual journalists. The ANP Connect pages, read 31 August 2026, list per release prices for different distribution scopes, such as regional media or national media, but do not offer a searchable database in those per release plans.

For a press officer who sends more than five releases per year, the database subscription becomes cheaper than paying per release for each one. At EUR 499 per release, five releases cost EUR 2,495, close to the EUR 2,650 yearly subscription for that database with two logins. The database subscription also gives you the ability to build a press list, save searches, and use the beat, region and outlet type filters.

The pay per release services do not document a filter option for individual journalist selection on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

Which competitor publishes a price for a database with search filters for Dutch and Flemish media?

Among the vendors that publish a price for a database with search filters, only De Perslijst and ANP Connect Database only state a yearly amount. The Amsterdam database costs EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, and ANP Connect Database only costs EUR 2,990 per year for one user. Both cover the Netherlands and Flanders, but the ANP Connect pages, read 31 August 2026, do not document the filter options as clearly as the journalist database pages do.

Mynewsdesk, Prezly, Prowly, and Presspage either publish no database only price or do not document Dutch and Flemish journalist databases on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026. Prezly publishes prices from EUR 100 to EUR 250 per month, but those plans include a newsroom and a press list, not a standalone database with search filters. The Prezly pages, read 31 August 2026, do not document separate beat, region or outlet type filters for the Netherlands and Flanders.

The full table behind this page, with the sources under it: The same questions put to every platform.