EXHIBIT 99.1
  
                     [THE DIALOG CORPORATION LETTERHEAD] 
  
  
 News Announcement 
 For Immediate release 
  
                      THE DIALOG CORPORATION APPOINTS  
                       ALLEN THOMAS, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN 
  
          LONDON, England and CARY, NC--Dec. 21, 1998-- The Dialog
 Corporation plc (NASDAQ:DIALY), a leading information technology company,
 today announced that Allen Thomas, a non executive director, has been
 appointed Deputy Chairman of the Company's board of directors, effective
 immediately. 
   
          Mr. Thomas is Chairman of Ockham Holdings plc and a Director of
 Penna Holdings plc. From 1972 through 1992 he was a partner in Paul, Weiss,
 Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a leading New York law firm, where he was the
 founding managing partner of the Hong Kong office and acted as General
 Counsel to the Municipal Assistance Corporation in the refinancing of New
 York City. 
  
          The Dialog Corporation (http://www.dialog.com) is a leading
 provider of online information created by the merger of M.A.I.D plc and
 Knight-Ridder Information Inc. The Dialog Corporation brands include the
 DIALOG, DataStar and Profound range of products and services. These brands
 provide comprehensive, authoritative sources of information to
 professionals worldwide. The Dialog Corporation has world headquarters in
 London and US headquarters in Cary, NC. Its American Depositary Shares
 (ADS) are traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "DIALY" with four Ordinary
 Shares comprising one ADS; its Ordinary Shares trade on the London Stock
 Exchange under the symbol "DLG." 
  
 CONTACT:             The Dialog Corporation plc 
                      Sara Parker, Corporate Communications
                      sara_parker@dialog.com 
                      011-44-171-930-6900 
  
                      Jaffoni & Collins Incorporated  
                      David C. Collins/Robert L. Rinderman  
                      U.S. investor relations
                      dialy@jcir.com 
                      212/835-8500 
  
                      Courtney Darby/Jed Hamilton   
                      U.S. media contacts
                      courtney@middleberg.com 
                      Middleberg + Associates 
                      212/888-6610 
  
  
  
                                  

                               SIGNATURES 
  
        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
 by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 
  
  
 Date: December 23, 1998            THE DIALOG CORPORATION PLC 
  
           
                                    By:  /s/ David G. Mattey
                                       --------------------------------
                                             David G. Mattey 
                                             Finance Director