In case you missed the memo, we’ve started sending live journalist requests through WhatsApp. Our idea is simple, and it’s all about making your workflow easier, because we want to help you spot the opportunities a bit quicker. After all, we know the struggle of a missed deadline.
Give it a try and see what you think? Whatsapp SUBSCRIBE REQUESTS to 07466 536564
Now, onto The Loop -live journo requests, PR tips, and the news worth knowing this week. Keep scrolling for a downloadable PR Calendar!
🔥 MUST READ
…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves
Journalist and media consultant Nick Huber has a simple reminder for PRs:
“A story pitch is just an idea. A way to capture attention and show potential.”
His advice? Don’t overcomplicate it. Skip the fancy formatting and the AI blandness, personalise it to the journalist and give them 4-5 clear bullet points written with their publication in mind. The takeaway is that it’s not your job to write for them, but to give them a strong idea, all the ingredients they need and enough room to make the story their own.
👉 Read Nick’s full LinkedIn article here
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we think you should see this week:
- Fake AI ‘experts’ are still making their way into the media – Journalist response platform Qwoted says it has banned hundreds of PR agencies, executives and supposed experts amid a growing flood of AI-generated content and questionable credentials. Press Gazette reports that several ‘experts’ who have been widely quoted by mainstream publications appear not to exist at all, while others are using AI to respond to journalist requests on subjects far outside their actual expertise. read more
- How to pitch TV journalists – In Off the Record, Steph Spyro speaks to GB News senior producer Keith Bays about what gets a TV pitch noticed.His advice is to pitch the people who can actually say yes, like newsdesks, planning teams, editors and bookers. Keep emails short, have credible spokespeople ready to go, and make sure they can explain their point clearly and concisely. read more
- What actually happens after you hit send on a pitch? – In the latest Get Featured, journalist Rosie Taylor lifts the lid on how one cold email pitch went from her inbox to a story in a national newspaper, and onto its social channels too. She breaks down the process from the original pitch to the finished article, giving PRs a useful look at what happens on the journalist’s side once a story catches their attention. claim your free post here
- AI answers are only as trustworthy as the sources behind them – New research from the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) has found a strong link between trust in the newsbrand cited by AI and trust in the answer itself. Trusted sources can make users more confident in an AI answer without necessarily sending that traffic back to the publisher. read more
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
The Guardian:
Metro:
- Looking for airline comment on luggage hack feature – Metro
- Looking for an Italian travel expert! – Metro
- Looking for solar tourism experts on best eclipse viewing locations – Metro
Newsweek:
- Looking for a doctor to discuss Lyme Disease – Newsweek
- Looking for comments from an oncologist #journorequest T.I.A
- Looking to speak to a neuro-oncologist, or neurosurgeon about glioblastoma! – Newsweek
Freelance:
- A compliance / AI / data safety expert having to develop interesting guidelines about Smart Glasses in your workplace needed! – Financial Times
- Looking for landscape designers and gardeners’ tips for small gardens
- Looking for consumers and small businesses to discuss building trust – BBC Radio 4
- How can employers review the investment performance of their workplace defined contribution #pension schemes? – Freelance
- Looking for an employment lawyer to explain hiring an au pair (including pay, job description, sick pay, pensions etc)! – Freelance
- Looking for expert comments on the best LARGE air fryers for the Evening Standard. – The Evening Standard
- Looking for comments on how to make ‘Schengen Shuffle’ work plus advice around the legal and tax pitfalls. – Freelance
- Any small biz using AI to model geopolitical scenarios rather than rely on static contingency plans? – Freelance
- Looking for nutritionists and kitchen tech trend experts for a story on ‘supplement fridges’ ! – Livingetc
- Looking to hear from UK customers and businesses who still prefer and rely on physical money and why. – BBC Radio 4
- Looking for home experts to explain what’s making houses hotter and how to keep them cool – iNews
- Looking for expert comments on mistakes affecting your home’s curb appeal are likely to upset or annoy your neighbours, and why? – Livingetc
- Looking for someone struggling to sell their flat who want to upgrade to a bigger family home! – The i Paper
- Seeking startups with experience hiring talent overseas – Freelance
- Looking for UK people changing their relationship with technology for BBC Radio 4 feature – BBC Radio 4
- Looking for parents who turned down promotions or pay rises to keep childcare benefits – The i Paper
Reach plc:
- Looking for expert opinion on what foods footballers eat / World Cup diet – Daily Mirror
- Experts or practicing solicitors specializing in payment services regulation, financial exclusion and card network compliance – DailyMirror
Mail on Sunday:
- Do you have a cool job and don’t mind being filmed for a few hours? – Daily Mail Social Video
- ‘Boots on the Ground’, quirky news stories, which need a rumour to be dispelled – Daily Mail Social Video
- A-LEVEL RESULTS DAY – FILM AT A SCHOOL – Daily Mail Social
Futurenet:
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 August.
🏢 1 Aug: Black Business Month begins – A month dedicated to celebrating and supporting Black-owned businesses across the US.
🍁 3 Aug: British Columbia Day – Public holiday celebrated across British Columbia, Canada.
🎬 5 Aug: Ted Lasso Season 4 premieres – The 10-episode season will kick off with a single episode, followed by new episodes dropping every Wednesday until October 7.
🏈 6 Aug: NFL Preseason begins – The countdown to the new NFL season starts with preseason fixtures across the US.
💻 6 Aug: DEF CON 34 begins – One of the world’s largest cybersecurity conferences, bringing together hackers, researchers and security professionals.
🎈 7 Aug: Bristol International Balloon Fiesta begins – The official event runs until 9 August 2026 at Ashton Court Estate.
🎬 7 Aug: One Night Only (2026) – Distributed by Universal Pictures, the movie’s ensemble cast also features Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, Molly Ringwald and LeVar Burton.
🌍 9 Aug: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – A UN observance recognising Indigenous communities, cultures and rights.
🔍 10 Aug: Searches for ‘last-minute holiday’ peak – According to Google Trends, last-minute travel interest reaches its highest point.
👥 12 Aug: International Youth Day – A UN observance highlighting the role of young people in shaping the future.
🌘 12 Aug: Total Solar Eclipse – It will sweep across Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, with partial phases visible across much of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Canada and parts of the United States.
📈 13 Aug: GDP first quarterly estimate, UK (April to June 2026) – The first estimate of UK economic growth for Q2 2026.
📊 13 Aug: GDP monthly estimate, UK (June 2026) – Measures the value of goods and services produced in the UK.
🎬 14 Aug: Flowervale Street (2026) – UK cinema release from Warner Bros. This 1980s-set film follows a family whose suburban neighbourhood is mysteriously transported to an unknown, prehistoric world.
📊 18 Aug: UK Labour Market: August 2026 – Covers employment, unemployment, earnings, vacancies and wider labour market trends.
📉 19 Aug: Consumer price inflation, UK (July 2026) – The latest UK inflation figures, including CPI and related measures.
🎾 23 Aug: US Open Tennis begins – The final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis calendar gets underway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.
🎮 26 Aug: gamescom 2026 begins – The main exhibition kicks off in Cologne, Germany. It’s the world’s largest gaming festival, featuring hands-on previews of upcoming titles, indie showcases, hardware reveals, and the Tencent Worlds of Play art.
🎬 28 Aug: One Night Only (2026) – UK cinema release.
🎬 28 Aug: Cliffhanger (2026) – UK cinema release, starring Lily James and Pierce Brosnan.
🏦 31 Aug: Summer Bank Holiday – Public holiday across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
📆 PR CALENDAR 2026
…because we want you to stay on top of the game every time
Don’t know what to pitch next?
We’ve got some good news then! We’ve pulled together the key PR dates from July to December 2026 in one handy, free downloadable PDF, so when you need a new idea, you’ve got six months of opportunities ready to go.
We would say save it and get those pitches planned before everyone else.
