dpa / news aktuell fact checkThe ots-Monitoring by ARGUS is an add-on from the dpa subsidiary news aktuell that evaluates the media coverage of a press release distributed via ots for four weeks. It is not ongoing monitoring of your brand. The evaluation is carried out by ARGUS Data Insights. It suits press offices and agencies who distribute via ots anyway and need clippings and reach figures for individual releases. Only the PR Basic package with distribution, image and monitoring is public, at 1,175 euros per release (as of October 2026).
What is the news aktuell ots-Monitoring?
The ots-Monitoring by ARGUS is a media coverage monitoring service that news aktuell sells as an add-on to distributing press releases via its ots service. According to the legal notice, the contracting party is news aktuell GmbH, based in Hamburg; according to the About page it is a wholly owned subsidiary of dpa, founded in 1989. The monitoring is booked per release without a contractual commitment, and the results land in the ots-Analytics account.
We did not find a dedicated dpa media monitoring product in the narrower sense; the ots-Monitoring is the group’s only documented offer. The evaluation is carried out by the partner ARGUS, according to the terms ARGUS Data Insights GmbH. We cover the Swiss media monitoring service ARGUS Data Insights separately. Our sources do not document how the two companies are connected.
Under our methodology, we rate the offer only in the monitoring pillar.
What does the ots-Monitoring evaluate?
According to news aktuell, the ots-Monitoring evaluates over 5 million media sources for the coverage of your distributed release, for four weeks from the distribution date. According to news aktuell, the booking applies to distributions in the German-speaking region.
| Area | What news aktuell states |
|---|---|
| 6,000 print media | |
| Online | 8,800 online media |
| Agencies | 18 regional, basic and topic services |
| TV | 2,800 TV programmes from 115 stations |
| Radio | 5,300 radio programmes from 114 radio stations |
| Social media | 5 million sources, networks not named |
You see the results in the ots-Analytics account with media data such as circulation and reach, and according to the terms news aktuell provides them digitally as a PDF. This shows you for one release in which media it was picked up and with what circulation or reach. Digital clippings come from the media portfolio of PMG Presse-Monitor. Print results that cannot be licensed are sent by post. Sentiment, alerts, Boolean search and an API are not documented.
Why is the ots-Monitoring not ongoing monitoring?
The ots-Monitoring is tied to exactly one press release. According to the terms, news aktuell evaluates the media coverage of the story distributed via ots, and only for four weeks from distribution. Whatever appears about your company before or after does not show up in the evaluation. Reports about your competitors or your topic without a link to the release are not captured either.
According to the product page, you can only book the monitoring as an add-on to an ots distribution. So without a press release via ots, there is no monitoring, and a retrospective search is not documented.
For crisis communication, a daily press review or social listening you therefore need a classic media monitoring service or a listening tool. The page on media monitoring gives an overview of providers.
What about press reviews, licence and retention period?
On the additional features of classic media monitoring services, the ots-Monitoring is narrowly cut, but the licence is settled.
- Press review: There is no ongoing press review. You get the clippings for your release as a PDF in Analytics.
- Licence: According to the terms, the digital clippings come from the PMG Presse-Monitor media portfolio licensed through ARGUS. A maximum of 3 people may use them; for more users you need your own contract with PMG.
- Human selection: news aktuell does not describe whether people check the results.
- Print DACH: According to the website, the 6,000 print media apply to distributions in the German-speaking region. A breakdown by country is missing, and Austria and Switzerland are not documented individually.
On the retention period, the documents contradict each other. The product page promises unlimited access to online clippings, while the terms (as of December 2025) name a maximum retention period of 28 days for digitally provided clippings, followed by an obligation to delete. According to the website, print clippings can be retrieved up to four weeks after publication. Plan your evaluation within 28 days and ask which rule applies.
Who is the ots-Monitoring for, and who is it not for?
The ots-Monitoring suits press offices and agencies who distribute individual press releases via ots and then want to know where the release appeared. Because you book per distribution without a contractual commitment, it suits teams with a few important releases who do not want an ongoing media monitoring contract. The same goes for agencies who distribute individual client releases via ots. The KPIs with circulation and reach help when reporting on a release to management.
It is less suitable if you want to monitor your brand permanently, react to crises or evaluate social media. The product is not built for that. If you need to distribute results to more than 3 people, you need your own PMG contract according to the terms. Evidence for Austrian and Swiss media is missing.
How much does the ots-Monitoring cost?
news aktuell does not publish a separate price for the ots-Monitoring (as of October 2026). According to the ots page, only the PR Basic package of ots distribution, image add-on and monitoring by ARGUS is public, at 1,175 euros instead of 1,465 euros when booked individually. It does not say whether this is net or gross. Billing is per distribution, and according to the vendor there is no contractual commitment.
news aktuell mentions no trial or free plan; a free consultation is documented. For a campaign with several releases, multiply the price per distribution, because each monitoring is tied to its own release. The packages are in the pricing table.
Data protection and DACH: servers, DPA, language
The privacy policy does not say where news aktuell stores the monitoring data, nor does it describe how the partner ARGUS processes data. We did not find a data processing agreement (DPA) or security certifications, which does not mean they do not exist. Request both before booking and have a DPA for the monitoring confirmed in writing.
The vendor is based in Hamburg and thus in the EU. German-language consultation through the sales team in Hamburg is documented. The interface language of ots-Analytics is not explicitly documented in the sources; the website and the terms and conditions are in German.
Our assessment
Under our methodology, the ots-Monitoring is a coverage measurement for individual press releases and not media monitoring in the classic sense. Well documented are the source figures, the licensing of clippings via PMG Presse-Monitor and the flexible booking per release without a contract.
Against this stand the missing separate price, the limit of 3 users, an undocumented data location and the contradiction between unlimited access and a 28-day retention period. Austria and Switzerland are not documented individually.
Our position: if you distribute via ots and need evidence for reporting on an important release, the add-on is a pragmatic complement. For anything beyond a single release, you need a media monitoring service with an ongoing contract.
How the score is calculated
The score is not a hands-on test verdict. It counts which checkpoints of methodology v1.4 are documented with a source for dpa / news aktuell. “Not documented” means we found no evidence, not necessarily that the feature is missing. Read the methodology
| Criterion | Weight | Value | Documented / checkpoints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source coverage | 20% | 3.2 / 10 | 4 / 7 |
| Analysis & sentiment | 15% | 0.0 / 10 | 0 / 6 |
| Alerts & search | 15% | 0.0 / 10 | 0 / 3 |
| Reporting & export | 10% | 7.5 / 10 | 2 / 3 |
| Data protection & GDPR | 15% | 2.5 / 10 | 1 / 4 |
| German language | 5% | 3.3 / 10 | 1 / 2 |
| Price transparency | 5% | 0.0 / 10 | 1 / 2 |
| AI connectivity & integrations | 15% | 0.0 / 10 | 0 / 3 |
Show all 30 checkpoints
| Criterion / checkpoint | Weight / points | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Source coverage | 20% | 3.2 / 10 |
| Social listening (mentions on social networks) | 1.5 of 3 | ½ add-on only |
| Online news | 1 of 2 | ½ listening is an add-on |
| Blogs and forums | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Print media | 0.5 of 1 | ½ listening is an add-on |
| TV and radio | 0.5 of 1 | ½ listening is an add-on |
| Podcasts | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Review sites | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Analysis & sentiment | 15% | 0.0 / 10 |
| Sentiment detection | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Sentiment for German-language text | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Image and logo recognition | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Influencer identification | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Historical data | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| AI summaries | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Alerts & search | 15% | 0.0 / 10 |
| Real-time alerts | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Boolean search queries | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Monitoring of AI answers (ChatGPT & co.) | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Reporting & export | 10% | 7.5 / 10 |
| Analytics and reports | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| PDF export | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| Scheduled reports | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Data protection & GDPR | 15% | 2.5 / 10 |
| Data stored in the EU (mixed = half points) | 0 of 3 | ? not documented |
| Data processing agreement (DPA) available | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| Provider based in the EU/EEA (country with EU adequacy decision = half points) | 2 of 2 | + yes |
| Security certification (e.g. ISO 27001, SOC 2) | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| German language | 5% | 3.3 / 10 |
| German-language interface | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| German-language support | 1 of 1 | + yes |
| Price transparency | 5% | 0.0 / 10 |
| Public pricing | 0 of 1 | − no |
| Free to try (trial or free plan) | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| AI connectivity & integrations | 15% | 0.0 / 10 |
| MCP server by the vendor (connects AI assistants) | 0 of 2 | ? not documented |
| API access | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
| Native integrations documented | 0 of 1 | ? not documented |
dpa / news aktuell pricing and costs
| Plan | Price per month | Billing | Scope according to the vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR Basic package (ots distribution + image + ots-Monitoring by ARGUS) | on request | – | Distribution via ots incl. Presseportal, image add-on, monitoring by ARGUS with KPIs and clippings |
| ots-Monitoring by ARGUS (Add-on) | on request | on request, per distribution | Coverage evaluation over four weeks from the distribution date |
Separate price of the monitoring add-on not published. Only the PR Basic package (ots distribution + image add-on + monitoring by ARGUS) is public, at 1,175 EUR instead of 1,465 EUR when booked individually; net or gross not stated. Booking per distribution without a contractual commitment.. As of 13 October 2026, source: vendor pricing page. Prices can change; the vendor’s page is authoritative.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Monitoring directly linked to the ots distribution of a press release, bookable flexibly per release without a contractual commitment. [Source]
- According to the vendor, over 5 million media sources: 6,000 print media, 8,800 online media, 5 million social media sources, 2,800 TV programmes (115 stations), 5,300 radio programmes (114 stations), 18 regional, basic and topic services. [Source]
- Results with media data such as circulation and reach in the ots-Analytics account; online clippings retrievable without time limit. [Source]
- Digitally delivered clippings come from the PMG Presse-Monitor media portfolio licensed through ARGUS; print results that cannot be licensed arrive by post. [Source]
Limitations
- No ongoing brand monitoring: only the media coverage of the release distributed via ots is evaluated, for four weeks from the distribution date. [Source]
- Only bookable as an add-on to an ots distribution. [Source]
- Digital clippings may only be used by three people; more users require a separate contract with PMG. [Source]
- Retention period for digital clippings a maximum of 28 days, then obligation to delete; according to the website, print clippings only retrievable up to four weeks after publication. [Source]
- Separate price of the monitoring not published. [Source]
Who is dpa / news aktuell for?
According to the disclosed fit rules, dpa / news aktuell suits:
- PR & media monitoring
dpa / news aktuell alternatives
Brand24
Social listening and media monitoring tool that collects mentions from over 25 million online sources (social media, news, blogs, forums, videos, podcasts, reviews) and evaluates them with AI sentiment, topic and event analysis.
from $ 199/month
Hootsuite
Social media platform ("Hootsuite Social OS") with modules for planning and publishing (Perch), inbox and customer service (Nest), social listening (Lumen), AI assistant (Wisdom) and employee advocacy (Parliament).
from € 99/month
Sprinklr
Enterprise platform for unified customer experience management with the suites Sprinklr Social (publishing, engagement, advocacy), Sprinklr Insights (social listening, benchmarking, Visual and LLM Insights), Sprinklr Service and Sprinklr Marketing.
Price on request
Talkwalker
Platform for social listening, media monitoring, social benchmarking and customer feedback analytics; marketed as "Lumen by Talkwalker" since its acquisition by Hootsuite (2024).
Price on request
Questions about dpa / news aktuell
Does dpa offer media monitoring?
Only the ots-Monitoring by ARGUS from the dpa subsidiary news aktuell is documented. It evaluates the media coverage of a press release distributed via ots for four weeks and can only be booked as an add-on to distribution. We did not find an ongoing media monitoring product from the dpa group. The contracting party is news aktuell GmbH in Hamburg.
How much does the ots-Monitoring by ARGUS cost?
news aktuell gives no separate price (as of October 2026). The PR Basic package of ots distribution, image and monitoring is public at 1,175 euros instead of 1,465 euros when booked individually, without stating net or gross. Booking is per distribution without a contractual commitment. You find out the price for the monitoring alone on request.
Can I book the ots-Monitoring without a press release?
No. According to news aktuell, the ots-Monitoring can only be booked as an add-on to an ots distribution and only evaluates the coverage of that release, for four weeks from the distribution date. A retrospective search is not documented. For ongoing monitoring of your brand, your competitors or particular topics, you need a media monitoring service or a listening tool.
Which media does the ots-Monitoring evaluate?
According to news aktuell, the ots-Monitoring draws on over 5 million media sources: 6,000 print media, 8,800 online media, 5 million social media sources, 2,800 TV programmes from 115 stations, 5,300 radio programmes from 114 radio stations and 18 regional, basic and topic services. The vendor does not name which social networks are included.
Who is behind the ots-Monitoring?
The contracting party is news aktuell GmbH in Hamburg, a wholly owned subsidiary of dpa, founded in 1989. According to the terms, the evaluation itself is carried out by the partner ARGUS Data Insights. How the German ARGUS Data Insights GmbH is connected to the Swiss ARGUS DATA INSIGHTS Schweiz AG is not documented in public sources. Consultation and sales are based in Hamburg.
How do I receive the results of the ots-Monitoring?
According to the terms, news aktuell provides the results digitally as a PDF in the ots-Analytics account, complemented by media data such as circulation and reach. Print clippings that cannot be licensed digitally arrive by post. There is no ongoing press review. The evaluation always relates to the one release you distributed via ots.
How long can the clippings be retrieved?
This is documented inconsistently. The product page promises unlimited access to online clippings. The terms (as of December 2025) name a maximum retention period of 28 days for digitally provided clippings, after which there is an obligation to delete. According to the website, print clippings can be retrieved up to four weeks after publication. Have it confirmed before booking which period applies.
Is the press review licence included with the ots-Monitoring?
Yes, with restrictions. According to the terms, the clippings come from the PMG Presse-Monitor media portfolio licensed through ARGUS. However, only 3 people may use them; for a larger group of users you need your own contract with PMG. According to the terms, you must delete digital clippings after 28 days at the latest. This is not legal advice.
Does the ots-Monitoring cover media in Austria and Switzerland?
This is not clearly documented. For the ots-Monitoring, news aktuell only speaks of the German-speaking region and does not break down the sources by country. Whether Austrian and Swiss media are fully covered remains open. If your release is mainly meant to have an impact in Austria or Switzerland, have the coverage confirmed before booking.
Does the ots-Monitoring also evaluate social media?
Yes, according to news aktuell 5 million social media sources are part of the ots-Monitoring, but only the coverage of your release distributed via ots is evaluated. The vendor does not name which networks are covered. Sentiment, alerts, Boolean search and an API are not documented in public sources. For ongoing social listening you need a separate tool.
Does the ots-Monitoring comply with the GDPR?
We give no legal assessment. news aktuell is based in Hamburg and thus in the EU. The privacy policy names no server location for the ordering system and does not describe how the partner ARGUS processes data. We did not find a DPA or certifications. Ask about both before booking, ideally in writing.
Is there consultation on the ots-Monitoring in German?
Yes, according to its website news aktuell provides a free German-language consultation, and the sales team is based in Hamburg. The website and terms are in German. Which language the ots-Analytics interface runs in is not documented in public sources. news aktuell mentions no trial of the monitoring; booking is directly per distribution.
What are the alternatives to the ots-Monitoring?
Which alternative fits depends on whether you want to evaluate individual releases or monitor continuously. For ongoing monitoring with a press review, classic media monitoring services are an option, and for online and social monitoring, listening tools. Three alternatives under our methodology are listed below; see media monitoring for an overview. If you distribute via ots anyway, the add-on can complement a media monitoring service for individual releases.
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