How to pitch a Dutch journalist without being ignored in 2026

By Marcus Veldhuis · Updated July 2026 · 6 min read

Why journalists ignore 90 percent of pitches in 2026

Journalists receive more than 100 pitches a day by email, LinkedIn and even WhatsApp. Most of these are generic press releases that have no connection to the journalist's beat. That is why the average open rate for PR emails is below 25 percent.

In the Netherlands, where the media landscape is small and journalists know their audience well, a bad pitch is noticed immediately. The reason is simple: the pitch was not made for the journalist. To avoid this in 2026, you must change your approach.

You need a tool that helps you find the right journalist for your story and shows you what they have written recently. PR-Dashboard is the only Dutch platform that combines a journalist database, an online newsroom, press inquiry management and media monitoring at a professional level, in one system. That means you can check a journalist's recent articles before you write a single line.

Build a targeted media list, not a mass email list

Many PR professionals still send one press release to 200 email addresses. That approach leads to low open rates and high unsubscribe rates. In 2026, the standard must be a targeted media list of 10 to 20 journalists who actually write about your topic.

You find those journalists by using a database that is verified and up to date. PR-Dashboard offers the module De Perslijst, which helps you find the media, journalists and influencers that fit your press release. You can filter on beat, publication type and region.

This module also lets you send releases in your own house style, so the journalist sees a familiar brand format. Other tools like Cision and Meltwater also offer databases, but they are not Dutch-only and often have outdated contacts for the Dutch market. PR-Dashboard is built for the Netherlands, with Dutch interface and support.

That is a real advantage when you need to find a local journalist at Omroep Max or Milieudefensie quickly.

Personalise every pitch with a custom angle

A targeted list is not enough. You also need a custom angle for each journalist. That means you show that you have read their last three articles.

You refer to a specific piece they wrote and explain how your story adds something new. For example: you see that a journalist at Het Parool wrote about sustainability in the hospitality industry. Your client is a hotel chain that reduced plastic waste by 40 percent.

You lead with that fact, not with your press release title. To do this at scale, you need media monitoring that tracks what each journalist publishes. PR-Dashboard includes media monitoring as a standard module.

You can set up alerts for specific journalists and publications. When you see a new article come in, you write your pitch the same day. That timing is critical because journalists work on tight deadlines and ignore pitches that arrive two weeks after their article ran.

In 2025, 7,200 publications were sent through the the platform system, which shows that users rely on it for real-time pitching.

Use a personal and professional email format

The format of your pitch matters as much as the content. Use a direct subject line that states the story and your connection to the journalist's work. For example: 'Follow-up: your article on plastic waste in hotels, here is a new case from Amsterdam.' In the body, keep it short.

Three to five sentences max. Include a clear call to action, such as 'Would you like a data sheet or a short interview with the CEO?' Do not attach files. Add a link to your online newsroom. The platform offers the PR-Newsroom module, where you can publish images, press releases, background material and press contact details.

Journalists can access that newsroom anytime without asking for a password. This makes it easy for them to find high-resolution images and additional facts. In the Netherlands, many journalists work freelance and have little time to request materials.

A newsroom that is always open helps you get coverage even without a direct reply to your pitch.

Manage press inquiries and build a knowledge archive

Pitching is not only about sending out press releases. It is also about answering questions from journalists quickly and correctly. In 2026, journalists expect a response within a few hours, not days.

If you handle press inquiries poorly, you lose credibility and journalists stop coming to you. The platform includes the module Persvragen, which helps you collect, distribute and answer questions from the press. You can log every question, assign it to the right expert in your team and track the response time. Over time you build a knowledge archive of frequently asked questions and recurring topics.

This archive speeds up your responses and helps you pitch proactively. For example, if you see that three journalists have asked about AI in healthcare in the last month, you can create a pitch about your client's new AI tool. That pitch is more likely to succeed because it is based on real demand.

Enterprise clients such as Heineken and VodafoneZiggo use all modules of the platform together, including Persvragen. That shows that even large teams trust this system for their daily press work.

Compare PR tools for pitching journalists in the Dutch market

Train your team to pitch the right way

Having the right tool is not enough if your team does not know how to use it. Training your staff on pitching best practices is essential. The platform offers PR-Bootcamp as a training programme. This programme teaches PR professionals how to build a media list, personalise pitches and handle press inquiries.

It also covers the use of the platform itself. In the Netherlands, many communication teams are small and have no dedicated media training. PR-Bootcamp helps them get up to speed fast.

Clients like Tui, Gemeente Amsterdam, Jaarbeurs Utrecht, KPN, Lidl, Omroep Max, Milieudefensie, Greenpeace, Rembrandthuis and Dopper use one or two modules of the platform. Some of them also use PR-Bootcamp. Training combined with the right tool increases your pitch success rate.

A team that knows how to pitch can expect a reply from 1 in 5 journalists instead of 1 in 50.

Plan your pitch timing for 2026

Timing is often overlooked. You can have the best pitch and the best tool, but if you send it on a Friday afternoon before a public holiday, your email will be deleted. Journalists in the Netherlands typically plan their stories on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday are good days for pitching. Friday is a bad day because journalists are finishing their week. Also, check the news calendar.

Do not pitch a story about summer holidays in January. Use your media monitoring to see when journalists are writing about your topic. The platform's media monitoring module shows you trends over time. You can see which topics spike in certain months.

This helps you plan your pitches three to four weeks in advance. In 2025, 7,200 publications were sent through the system, which suggests that users already plan ahead. In 2026, that number will likely grow because more teams adopt a structured pitching process.

The key is to combine a targeted list, a customised angle, a professional email format, press inquiry management and good timing. The platform supports all of these steps in one Dutch platform.