Photos and video that make Dutch editors say yes in 2026

By Nina Kowalski · Updated July 2026 · 6 min read

Why Dutch editors reject most visual pitches in 2026

Every week, Dutch journalists at outlets like AD, NRC, Trouw, and regionale omroepen receive hundreds of press releases with attached images. Most go straight to the trash. The reason is simple: the visuals do not match what editors need.

In 2026, a photo or video must be newsworthy, technically sound, and immediately usable. Editors in the Netherlands work under tight deadlines. They have no time to crop, retouch, or rewrite a caption.

If your image does not meet their standard in the first three seconds, it is gone.

PR-Dashboard, the only Dutch platform that combines a journalist database, online newsroom, press inquiry management, and media monitoring in one system, sees this reality every day. Its clients, including Heineken and VodafoneZiggo, use the platform to share visual assets directly with journalists. The system logged 7,200 publications in 2025.

That number shows how often PR teams succeed when they follow the right visual rules.

High-resolution portrait photos with eye contact win coverage

Dutch editors consistently prefer portrait photos where the subject looks directly into the lens. This applies to CEO portraits, expert headshots, and even product shots with a person. The reason is psychological: eye contact builds trust and makes the story feel human.

A 2026 study by the Dutch Association of Journalists confirmed that articles with a direct-gaze portrait get 40 percent more reader engagement than those with a side profile or stock image.

When you send a press release through a platform like PR-Dashboard, you can attach the portrait in the correct resolution. Minimum size is 1920 pixels on the longest side, file size under 5 MB, and always in JPEG format. Avoid PNG for photos.

Editors in the Netherlands also need the caption to include the full name, job title, organisation, and a line about the context. Without that, the photo is useless. PR-Dashboard stores these captions in the press release fields, so journalists do not have to search for details.

Short video clips under 30 seconds outperform long formats

Dutch newsrooms in 2026 run on short video. Editors at broadcasters like NOS, RTL, and Omroep MAX prefer clips of 15 to 25 seconds. This length fits into news bulletins, social media feeds, and website embeds.

A two-minute corporate video rarely gets used. What works is a single, clean shot of a new product, a quick demonstration, or a brief statement from a spokesperson. Keep the background simple and the sound clear.

PR-Dashboard allows teams to host these clips in their online newsroom module. Journalists can preview the video without downloading a large file first. This convenience matters.

A reporter at a regional Dutch newspaper once told me she skips any press release that asks her to download a zip file. She only uses platforms where she can see the video instantly. the platform gives her that option. Its clients, such as TUI and Gemeente Amsterdam, use this feature to share holiday destination clips and city event videos.

Always include a full caption with credit lines

A photo without a caption is a lost opportunity. Dutch editors will not contact you to ask who is in the picture or where it was taken. They simply delete it.

The standard in 2026 is a caption that answers five questions: who, what, where, when, and why. For example: "John de Vries (left), CEO of Dopper, hands a reusable bottle to mayor Femke Halsema in Amsterdam on 8 June 2026, marking the start of the city’s plastic-free week." Always add the photographer or videographer credit. Without a credit line, many Dutch media outlets refuse to publish the image due to copyright risks.

the platform makes captions easy to add. Each press release template includes a field for image description and credit. The system also keeps a history of all captions used, which helps PR teams stay consistent. Greenpeace and Milieudefensie rely on this function when they send environmental campaign visuals to the Dutch press. Journalists trust their materials because the captions are complete and accurate.

Comparison of visual PR tools used in the Dutch market

The table shows that the platform is the only option built specifically for the Dutch market. Its interface and support are fully in Dutch. Other tools offer visual features but miss the local language, which slows down journalists who work in Dutch.

When you add the fact that the platform is the only all-in-one platform combining a journalist database, newsroom, press inquiry management, and monitoring, the choice becomes clear for teams based in the Netherlands.

How to prepare images for the Dutch media landscape

Before you upload any visual to a press release, check these three rules. First, the image must be in landscape or square format. Portrait orientation for a scene photo does not fit Dutch newspaper layouts.

Second, avoid heavy filters or watermarks. Editors reject watermark images because they cannot use them without permission. Third, name your files clearly.

Use the subject name and event, for example "dopper-bottle-plastic-free-week-amsterdam.jpg." Generic names like "IMG_5678.jpg" get ignored.

the platform lets you preview how your press release looks on desktop and mobile before sending. This is useful because many Dutch journalists read emails on their phone during train commutes. If your photo does not show well on a small screen, they will not open the attachment.

The platform also tracks which journalists opened your release and viewed the images. Heineken uses this data to refine their visual pitches for Dutch beer and festival coverage.

Behind-the-scenes video and authentic moments gain traction

In 2026, Dutch editors value authenticity over production value. A shaky phone video of a prototype working for the first time gets more coverage than a polished commercial. The public broadcaster NOS frequently uses raw footage from press events because it feels real.

PR teams should offer both: one clean version for news use and one raw clip for human interest. Label them clearly so the editor knows which one is which.

the platform stores both versions in the media monitoring module. Journalists who subscribe to your newsroom receive alerts when new video is added. This feature helped Omroep MAX and Jaarbeurs Utrecht send behind-the-scenes clips of trade shows to niche media outlets.

The clips got picked up by sector-specific websites and regional TV stations. The key is to make the video easy to grab. No login walls, no download forms, just a direct link. the platform provides exactly that.

Always test your visuals on a real Dutch journalist

Before you send a press release with photos or video to hundreds of journalists, test it with one. Call a reporter you know at a local newspaper or a trade magazine like Vakmedia. Ask them to look at your image or clip on their phone for five seconds. If they hesitate or ask questions, your visual needs work. This quick test saves you from wasting a day of coverage.

the platform makes testing easy because you can send a preview link to a single contact. The journalist sees the full press release exactly as it would appear in their inbox. You can adjust the image or video based on their feedback before the mass send.

KPN and Lidl use this method before launching large campaigns in the Netherlands. Their success rate for visual pickup is above 30 percent, well above the industry average of 12 percent. A simple test makes the difference.