Hey there,
Summer’s here, and “silly season” doesn’t mean no pitching!
Journalists still need fresh angles, insights and case studies that land coverage. You have something great? Pop your pitch into the Synapse marketplace or email it to pitches@synapse.media, and we’ll get it in front of the right journalists.
Now, welcome back to The Loop – your weekly drop of live journo requests, PR expert tips and media news.
Here’s what’s making waves this week…
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“Make sure your pitches don’t look phishy…”
PR and Content Consultant Jasper Hamill’s near-miss phishing story is a reminder: check every detail, including spelling, sender credentials and links before you hit send.
👉Read the LinkedIn post here
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Insider Media:
- Looking for all dealmaking-related announcements from B2B press teams in the West Midlands area – legal, accountancy, and corporate finance advisers
- Seeking dealmaking news from Dorset-based professional services – legal, accountancy, and corporate finance firms.
Stylist:
- Looking for someone for a Stylist feature on the mistake of lending a friend or family member money.
The i Paper:
- Keen to speak to people who have 5+ year mortgage fixes ending in the next year and are worried about the higher costs.
- Looking to speak to financial advisers who have seen an increase in the number of inquiries about the pension commencement.
- Looking to speak to someone who received a higher inheritance tax bill because they disputed the value of their property.
- Looking for someone who is less likely to use a cash ISA if Reeves cut the annual allowance.
- Looking to speak to people who aren’t saving for retirement because they are gonna get an inheritance from their family.
Freelance:
Metro:
Triangle News:
- Looking to speak to young people who have very successful businesses, talking about how they managed it.
- Looking for parents who pay their own parents a salary to look after their pre-schoolers because it’s cheaper than sending them to nursery.
Daily Mirror / Express / Reach titles:
Or head to the marketplace now to look at requests yourself.
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we’ve read this week so that you don’t have to:
- Why PR firms keep salaries under wraps – A PRWeek podcast digs into why agencies shy away from listing pay ranges in job ads, and how that secrecy could be affecting recruitment and diversity. read more
- Reach to streamline sports coverage with 50 redundancies – Reach plc is merging its regional and national sports teams into one central hub, cutting around 50 editorial roles and sparking fresh concerns over the future of local sports journalism. read more
- Truth, trust and downright lies – Rob Waugh argues that as misinformation spreads, PR must own transparency and ethical storytelling to protect credibility and rebuild public trust. read more
- Tim Davie admits ‘significant failing’ by BBC – Director General Tim Davie publicly apologised for errors in the corporation’s Gaza documentary, pledging steps to rebuild trust and strengthen editorial oversight. read more
- Which agencies are the most transparent? – Parental leave, living wage and pay gaps: a new report reveals all. read more.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…just because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
- 1 August: Edinburgh Fringe Festival begins
- 1 August: ‘The Bad Guys 2’ movie release date for the UK
- 7 August: Bank of England MPC Base Rate decision – It will be reviewed to determine interest rates set by lenders and savings providers
- 8 August: ‘The Naked Gun’ release date – A reboot starring Liam Neeson, directed by Akiva Schaffer.
- 9 August: Edinburgh International Book Festival begins – featuring everyone from the rising stars of fiction to Nobel Prize-winners
- 14 August: University Clearing search peak – Searches for ‘Clearing’ spike here. Smart PR timing for universities, fintechs, student accommodation and retail brands aimed at young adults.
- 14 August: UK economic announcements – Balance of Trade, Gross Domestic Product, Index of Services and Industrial Production announced.
- 21 August: GCSE Results Day – MailOnline’s social platforms reach 2 in 5 school leavers. BBC’s informed that students will receive their results via the Education Record app this year.
- 21 August: Reading & Leeds Festival begins
- 22 August: Women’s Rugby World Cup starts – London, Bristol, Sunderland, Brighton, Northampton, Exeter, Manchester and York are the host cities.
- 24 August: Notting Hill Carnival
- 27 August: ‘School shoes’ searches peak – According to MailMetro Media, 46% of parents use payment schemes for back-to-school items.
✨ BEFORE YOU GO
Got something great but in a rush?
Send it over to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.
