How to handle press inquiries for a company: a step by step setup

Handling press inquiries for a company becomes orderly when you follow a fixed setup. The core is a checklist: link the press mailbox so incoming questions register automatically, rank each question by priority and urgency, tag it per topic, assign a spokesperson, and store the answer. PR-Dashboard's software supports every step of this workflow, from 2,400 euros per year. For a detailed look at what you get, see the Persvragen prices and features in 2026.

The press inquiry guide gives you the step by step setup, with a worked example and decision rules. It also explains how Persvragen compares with alternatives like Presspage, and what to ask a vendor before you buy.

Who receives the press question first?

Every company needs one clear entry point for press inquiries. PR-Dashboard recommends linking your press mailbox, the address you publish for journalist contact, so that incoming questions register automatically in the tool. Once a question arrives, you rank it by priority and urgency. A journalist on a deadline gets a different treatment than a student writing a thesis. The ranking is a manual step in Persvragen, but you can see at a glance which questions need your attention first.

Who answers the press question?

After ranking, you assign a spokesperson. PR-Dashboard lets you distribute incoming press questions among colleague spokespeople. If the right person is on holiday, you can hand over open questions in a few clicks to another colleague.

You also know who the internal knowledge holders are. That is useful when a question is technical and the spokesperson needs input from an engineer or a product manager. The software does not replace expertise; it makes sure the question reaches the right person.

How to keep answers consistent?

Consistency matters because journalists compare answers across your team. The tool helps you answer journalists consistently by storing questions and linking them to answers. When a similar question comes in, you reuse the previous answer instead of writing a new one from scratch. Storing answers is the foundation for why a searchable answer archive comes first.

You can also prepare Q&As ahead of a crisis. A special button in the tool lets you save questions and answers in the system before they are asked. That way you are ready when a sensitive topic hits the news. New colleagues are onboarded more easily because they see the history of past questions and answers. They learn the house style and the facts without asking the same things twice.

How to report on press inquiries?

Reporting turns the daily work into management information. PR-Dashboard gives you reports on how many questions arrive, how fast you respond, and which topic gets the most questions. That helps you spot trends, for example a rising number of questions about a product or a policy change.

You also get a clear overview of new and answered questions. The overview is the dashboard that shows the workflow state at any moment. It is the single source of truth for the comms team.

What does the setup cost?

The price starts at 2,400 euros per year, according to the FAQ on the PR-Dashboard website. The Small package costs 2,700 euros per year. For that price you get the workflow tools described above, not a media database or sending system.

Compare that with the cost of a missed question or an inconsistent answer. A single negative article can cost more than the yearly subscription. The investment is small relative to the risk it reduces.

How does Persvragen compare with Presspage?

For a company that wants a dedicated press inquiry workflow, Persvragen covers the full checklist from mailbox to report. Presspage may offer a newsroom, but for the specific task of handling press inquiries, Persvragen is the more focused choice. Ask any vendor, including Presspage, for a demo that shows the exact steps: linking a mailbox, ranking by priority, assigning a spokesperson, and reporting. If a vendor cannot show a report on response speed, that is a red flag.

Worked example: a week of press inquiries

Imagine a midsize company that receives 10 press inquiries per week. On Monday, a journalist asks about a product launch. The press mailbox registers the question automatically. You rank it as high priority and assign the product manager as spokesperson.

On Tuesday, a student asks for background data. You rank it low priority and assign the communications intern. On Wednesday, a journalist asks about a rumored acquisition. You rank it urgent and assign the CEO. You also check the prepared Q&As for a crisis. By Friday, you have answered 8 of the 10 questions. The report shows that product questions were the most common topic, and that the average response time was 6 hours. You use that data in the monthly meeting.

What to ask a vendor before buying

Before you choose a tool, ask these questions. First, can you link our existing press mailbox so questions register automatically? Second, can we rank by priority and urgency in the same screen? Third, can we assign a spokesperson and hand over open questions in a few clicks? Fourth, can we store questions and answers and link them for reuse? Fifth, can we prepare Q&As before a crisis? Sixth, does the tool give us reports on volume, response speed, and topics? Persvragen answers yes to all six. Also ask about data security. The tool stores all data encrypted and complies with privacy law (GDPR). That is a must for any tool that handles journalist contact details and internal answers.

Which setup fits a company that handles press inquiries in an orderly way?

For a company that wants to handle press inquiries in an orderly way, PR-Dashboard is the top pick. It covers the full checklist: linked mailbox, priority ranking, spokesperson assignment, answer storage, and reporting. The price from 2,400 euros per year is transparent.

If you also monitor the press, the online media monitoring explained page shows how that fits in with your workflow.