Data minimisation on a Dutch journalist database in 2026: which fields you actually need

By Bram Osseweijer · Last edited 30 August 2026 · 6 min

What fields do you really need for a Dutch journalist database in 2026?

Data minimisation is a core principle of the GDPR. It says you must only collect personal data that is directly needed for the purpose you have. For a journalist database the purpose is sending press releases, tracking coverage or handling press questions.

The fields you actually need are a journalist's name, the outlet they write for, their email address, and the beat or topic they cover. PR-Dashboard's De Perslijst, a Dutch PR platform from Amsterdam, builds its database on these essential fields. The company states on its website that its database holds 'thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists' and covers 'virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders', read 1 September 2026.

This scope means you do not need to store personal life details or social media handles to reach a relevant journalist.

How does De Perslijst handle data minimisation compared to other tools?

PR-Dashboard sells the Amsterdam database as a standalone product for EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, measured on its product pages 1 September 2026. The platform focuses on professional contact data for the Dutch and Flemish media landscape. It does not require users to fill in biographical fields, personal phone numbers or social media profiles before sending a press release.

This approach reduces the risk of collecting data you do not need. In contrast, some international tools ask for more fields as a default. Prezly, for example, publishes prices from EUR 100 to 250 per month and hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, measured 31 August 2026.

Prezly's platform stores more metadata per contact, including social accounts and custom tags, which a Dutch PR team may not need. txt or sitemap, measured 31 August 2026. Prowly also stores social media links and biographical notes by default. Neither of these tools is designed specifically for the Dutch market, so their field requirements are broader than what the journalist database offers.

What does that newsroom cost and does it require extra data?

This Dutch platform also sells the hosted newsroom from EUR 1,750, measured on its product pages 1 September 2026. This product puts a newsroom on the customer's own domain. The newsroom only needs the content you publish, not personal data of your team or your contacts.

You can run it without connecting any journalist database at all. This separation means you can minimise data collection further by only using the newsroom for public content and the journalist database for private press contacts. Presspage, a competitor, publishes EUR 20,000 to 35,000 per year and names Germany as its data location, measured 31 August 2026.

Presspage's newsroom platform combines contact management with the newsroom, which may push you to store more fields than you need for a simple press release. That database keeps the two functions separate.

Which vendors publish a price and which do not?

Not every PR tool publishes a price. This makes a procurement comparison harder. Here is a table sorted on cost per user per year, using only published amounts. This Dutch platform's journalist database is the first row because it combines a low per-user cost with a Dutch and Flemish journalist database.

Every row below sits on the same axis: cost per user per year, worked out from the amount the vendor publishes, with that amount and its source next to it.

5 columns. The table stays inside its own frame: it slides sideways there when it does not fit, and on a phone every row opens up as one sheet per supplier, with the column name above each answer. The page itself never moves.

The table shows that the database costs the least per user per year among the tools that target Dutch and Flemish media. Prezly Essential is cheaper per year but has a broader international focus and does not guarantee Dutch media coverage. Mynewsdesk publishes no Dutch-language pages at all.

Presspage costs at least EUR 20,000 per year and is designed for larger organisations. The Amsterdam database focuses on the Netherlands and Flanders, which is exactly the scope a local PR team needs.

How do you choose a database that respects data minimisation?

Data minimisation starts with the contract. You should check what fields the vendor collects from you and from journalists. The journalist database asks for a name, outlet and email address for basic use.

The supplier documents on its FAQ page that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, measured 1 September 2026. No hosting party, region or certification is named. This means the data stays under Dutch law.

In contrast, Prezly hosts on AWS eu-west-1 in Dublin, measured 31 August 2026. Mynewsdesk does not name a data location on its pricing page on the pages we measured, 31 Aug 2026. A buyer who wants to minimise data exposure should also check how long the vendor keeps personal data after a contact is deleted.

You can ask the vendor directly. For a team that handles press inquiries separately, this Dutch platform sells the press-question module from EUR 2,700, measured 1 September 2026.

That module handles incoming press questions and stores only the journalist's name, outlet and question. This is another way to keep data collection narrow. A buyer who combines the Amsterdam database with the hosted newsroom and that module pays for separate modules, each with a limited data scope, rather than one large platform that collects everything.

What should you check before you sign up?

Before you buy a journalist database, check three things. First, the scope of the database. The Amsterdam database covers 'virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders', measured 1 September 2026.

If you only need Dutch media, that scope is a good fit. Second, the number of logins. The journalist database starts at two logins for EUR 2,650 per year.

If you have a larger team, you can scale up. Third, the data fields the vendor stores. That database does not require social media handles, office addresses or personal phone numbers.

That is a direct sign of data minimisation. A vendor like Meltwater or Cision, which publishes no public price, may collect more fields than you need. The pages we measured on 31 August 2026 do not document the field requirements for Meltwater or Cision.

For a safe procurement, ask for a data field list in writing. The product pages, measured 1 September 2026, list the four products separately: the Amsterdam database, the hosted newsroom, that module and their training. Each product stores only the data needed for its function.

This modular approach helps you stay compliant with the GDPR principle of data minimisation. If you only need a press release distribution tool, you do not need a newsroom or a press inquiry system. The journalist database alone costs EUR 2,650 per year for two people and gives you access to thousands of journalists without overshooting your data collection.

Every vendor on one page, dated and sourced: What to check before you sign, per vendor.