So now is the perfect time to add pitches@synapse.media to your distribution lists.
Send any stories, experts or comments to that email address and we’ll get them in the marketplace for you, ready for journalists to find while you seek out the aircon.
Welcome back to The Loop, your weekly scroll of live journo requests, savvy PR tips and the top media trends you need to know.
Here’s what’s trending this week…
🔥 MUST READ
…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves
It’s too hot to read anything long this week, so here’s something short and simple from Thomas Chivers, digital PR specialist at Sabot.
“If you create things that are actually useful, the press will gladly link to them”
The takeaway? Sometimes easier said than done, but a good reminder to ask yourself if your story if useful to you and your brand or if it’s useful to the audience your journalist wants to reach. Be brutal.
👉 See Thomas’s useful example here
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we think you should see this week:
- Biggest UK local newsbrands- Press Gazette’s regular rundown of the biggest local newsbrands finds that among the 75 biggest local news titles in the UK, just 16 grew their audience year on year, with Reach sites being the worst hit. read more.
- The Rest is Entertainment – In last week’s episode, Marina Hyde and Richard Osman discussed the World Cup, the various outlets covering it, the content coming out of it, and the numerous podcasting attempts it’s fuelled. listen here.
- Jane Austin: Keir Starmer’s final speech was his most effective. Too little, too late – Comms expert Jane Austin argues that Keir Starmer’s exit speech showed the emotional clarity his premiership lacked and the lesson Andy Burnham cannot afford to miss. read more.
- BBC announces 550 job cuts as first part of £550m savings plan – In an email to staff, the BBC outlined the proposals, including ending Radio 4’s The World Tonight and reducing the number of permanent presenters on Today from five to four, with a single anchor on Saturdays. BBC One’s Breakfast will also no longer be shown on a Sunday morning, and the production teams making Newsnight and Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg will merge. read more.
- How to stop your copy reading like AI- ex-News UK journalist, Harriet Myer, has a newsletter that we love and her most recent post shares her advice for making sure your copy doesn’t read like AI. read more.
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
This week’s journalist requests on Synapse:
Newsquest:
- What time should you shut your windows in a heatwave? – Newsquest titles
- Mistakes people make when trying to stay cool in a heatwave – Newsquest titles
- How to use air conditioning correctly in a car – Newsquest titles
House Beautiful:
British GQ:
The i Paper:
Newsweek:
Metro:
Living360:
Freelance:
Or head to the marketplace now to look at the full list of requests yourself.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…because we don’t want you missing out on stuff in July.
📊 2 Jul: Business insights and impact on the UK economy – Covers the impact of economic challenges and other events on UK businesses, including performance, workforce, trade and resilience.
🏎️ 3 Jul: British Grand Prix begins – The 2026 Formula 1 British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone Circuit.
📚 3 Jul: Bradford Literature Festival – This buzzing book festival brings big literary names to West Yorkshire, with panels, readings, lectures and more.
🚴 4 Jul: Tour de France begins – it’s the 113th edition of the Tour de France, taking place until the 26th July 2026, starting in Barcelona.
📊 7 Jul: Financial Stability Report – Published by the Bank of England, setting out its view on UK financial system stability and key risks.
🏰 9 Jul: Buckingham Palace Summer Opening
🎬 10 Jul: Moana (2026) – Action / Adventure / Comedy, starring Catherine Laga’aia, Dwayne Johnson, John Tui and Frankie Adams.
🎾 11 Jul: Wimbledon Women’s Singles Final – Provisionally scheduled at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.
🎾 12 Jul: Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final – The 2026 Wimbledon Championships run from 29 June to 12 July, with video reviews introduced for the first time.
⚽ 14 Jul: First FIFA World Cup Semi-Final
⚽ 15 Jul: Second FIFA World Cup Semi-Final
😀 16 Jul: World Emoji Day – “Face with bags under its eyes” was recognised as the emoji of the year in 2025.
📈 16 Jul: GDP monthly estimate, UK (May 2026) – GDP measures the value of goods and services produced in the UK.
⛳ 16 Jul: The Open Championship 2026 begins – officially the 154th Open Championship, is a golf tournament to be played from 16-19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. It will be the 11th Open held at the club.
🎂 17 Jul: Queen Camilla’s Birthday
🎬 17 Jul: The Odyssey (2026) – Adventure / Fantasy, starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson.
🏆 19 Jul: FIFA World Cup Final – The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
🏖️ 21 Jul: Schools break up for the summer
📊 21 Jul: UK Labour Market: July 2026 – Covers employment, unemployment, inactivity, earnings, vacancies and labour market stats.
📊 22 Jul: Consumer price inflation, UK (June 2026) – Covers price index changes and weights across inflation measures.
🏅 23 Jul: Commonwealth Games begin
⛳ 29 Jul: Women’s Open – Held at Royal Lytham & St Annes, with some of golf’s biggest names competing.
📊 29 Jul: Effective interest rates (June 2026) – Covers average interest rates across UK deposit and loan accounts.
🎬 31 Jul: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) – Action / Adventure / Fantasy, starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink and Jacob Batalon.
Working on something great or out of office?
Head to the marketplace now or simply send it to pitches@synapse.media (or add us to your media list) and we’ll make sure it reaches the right journalists.
