We’ve started sending fresh journalist requests straight to WhatsApp, so there’s less chance of spotting the perfect opportunity after the deadline has passed.

If you haven’t joined the feed yet, now’s a good time. Just whatsapp SUBSCRIBE REQUESTS to 07466 536564, and we’ll send the next batch straight to your phone.

Now, onto The Loop -live journo requests, PR tips, and the news worth knowing this week.

P.S Keep scrolling for a downloadable PR Calendar!

 

🔥 MUST READ

…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves

PR strategist and co-founder of Notably, Carly Martinetti shared a stat that stopped us scrolling:

“Only 2% of the journalists pitched by PR teams actually overlap with the journalists AI is citing.”

Her advice is not to assume your usual media list is building AI visibility. AI rewards consistent coverage across trusted and niche publications, with recent mentions carrying the most weight. If AI search is becoming part of your PR strategy, it might be time to build a second media list – one for journalists, and one for AI.

👉 Read Carly’s full LinkedIn post here

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

Here’s what we think you should see this week:

  • Fake AI experts are becoming a bigger problem – Qwoted says it’s removing hundreds of fake experts and AI-generated pitches from its platform after uncovering fabricated profiles and mass-produced commentary being sent to journalists. The platform describes it as a constant “whack-a-mole” battle as AI-generated PR content continues to rise. read more
  •  ‘I blacklisted a rude journalist – am I the PR a**hole? – PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast tackles some of the industry’s biggest ethical dilemmas, including whether it’s ever okay to blacklist a journalist, tricky agency-client situations, and workplace confessions. An entertaining listen with plenty of debate for anyone working in PR. listen to the episode
  • Google is giving publishers more visibility in AI Overviews – Google has started placingTop Stories links directly inside many AI-generated search summaries, giving publishers more prominent placement on news searches. While it could drive more clicks, publishers who opt out of AI Overviews may also miss out on this extra visibility. read more
  • The guide to Silly Season pitching – Journalist Rosie Taylor has published a practical guide on what works (and what doesn’t) during Silly Season. She advises leaning into quirky, human-interest stories, not being afraid to retry pitches that didn’t land earlier in the year, and expecting holiday coverage to change who you’re pitching to. read more
  • Fake PRs are pitching journalists – An investigation by Futurism found a PR agency using AI-generated publicists, fake agencies and fabricated headshots to pitch journalists on behalf of real clients. Several clients said they were unaware of the practice, while the agency admitted it had used the fake personas as a temporary workaround for email deliverability issues. It’s another reminder that trust and transparency are becoming the biggest differentiators in media relations. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:

The Guardian:

The StyleTitle:

Newsweek:

Freelance:

Reach plc:

Mail on Sunday:

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 September.

🏛️ 3 Sep: Reform UK Conference – Reform UK holds its annual conference at the NEC in Birmingham.

💻 4 Sep: IFA Berlin 2026 – The world’s largest consumer electronics and home tech event, will take place at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds in Germany.

🍁 7 Sep: Labor Day (US) / Labour Day (CA)

🏈 9 Sep: NFL Regular Season Kickoff – The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots at Lumen Field in Seattle.

👗 9 Sep: New York Fashion Week

📈 11 Sep: GDP monthly estimate, UK: July 2026

🎬 11 Sep: “Practical Magic 2” movie release date – The highly anticipated sequel reunites Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as the iconic Owens sisters.

🛣️ 13 Sep: Road Dahl Day (UK)

💻 15 Sep: Dreamforce 2026 – Exploring the future of technology. 1,600+ sessions and expert-led training taking place in San Francisco, CA.

📊 15 Sep: UK Labour Market: September 2026

📊 16 Sep: Consumer price inflation, UK: August 2026

🎬 16 Sep: “Slow Horses” Season 6 premieres – The six-episode season will kick off with its first episode, followed by weekly releases every Wednesday until the finale on October 21, 2026.

🏦 17 Sep: Bank of England MPC Summary

👠 17 Sep: London Fashion Week begins

🎬 18 Sep: “Resident Evil” (Sony) – Based on the Japanese video game franchise by Capcom.

🎬 18 Sep: “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” – A stop-motion animated family comedy from Aardman Studios.

🌼 19 Sep: Liberal Democrat Conference – The Liberal Democrats gather in Brighton for their annual conference.

👜 22 Sep: Milan Fashion Week

🍂 23 Sep: Autumn Equinox – The equinox occurs at approximately 1:06am BST.

🎬 25 Sep: “Sense and Sensibility” (Universal) – Adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, directed by Georgia Oakley, officially releases in UK cinemas.

🌹 27 Sep: Labour Party Conference – Labour’s annual conference takes place in Liverpool.

🗼 28 Sep: Paris Fashion Week

📈 30 Sep: GDP quarterly national accounts, UK: Apr-Jun 2026

 

📆 PR CALENDAR 2026

…because we want you to stay on top of the game every time

Running out of pitch ideas? Say no more.

Our free PR Dates Calendar is packed with the biggest dates from August to December 2026, giving you five months of reasons to pitch. Download it and start planning before everyone else catches on.

Get your fresh pitch idea today!

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:

Newsweek:

Freelance:

Reach plc:

Mail on Sunday:

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.

Grab this list of great pitch ideas!

Summer always means more automatic replies, but don’t forget that journalists still have to find those stories and hit the deadlines.

While you are battling the slow time, send your strongest stories to pitches@synapse.media. We are always down for more expert comments, case studies, fresh data, or a new angle, and we’ll get them onto the Synapse marketplace and in front of journalists looking for stories just like yours.

Now, onto The Loop -live journo requests, and the news worth knowing this week.

🔥 MUST READ

…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves

What are you pitching for the rest of 2026?

What if we tell you that we’ve done the planning for you? Our July-December PR Calendar is packed with key dates and moments you can turn into timely pitches, maybe campaign ideas and definitely more reactive stories.

It’s a downloadable PDF, so we would recommend either saving it to your desktop where you keep it within reach, or sharing it with your team and making your next PR opportunity happen before everyone else…

Download a full list of big pitch ideas!

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

Here’s what we think you should see this week:

  • The UK is getting its fifth prime minister in four years – Andy Burnham is set to enter Downing Street, becoming the UK’s fifth prime minister since Boris Johnson’s departure and taking over from Sir Keir Starmer after two years in office. Recent government material confirms Starmer is in his final week as PM, with Burnham expected to succeed him. read more
  • Google search traffic to UK publishers could halve by 2027 – A new study from the Association of Online Publishers (AOP), analysing 10.8 billion pageviews across eight major UK publishing groups, found organic Google Search referrals fell 7.1% between Q1 and Q2 2025. If that trajectory continues, Google-driven pageviews could halve by Q3 2027. read more
  • How will the ‘King of the North’ communicate? – The latest PRmoment News Review turns its attention to Andy Burnham and the communications challenge that comes with moving from regional leadership to the top job. Ben Smith, Angie Moxham and Mark Borkowski discuss whether Burnham’s value-led, tightly controlled approach to media can survive greater scrutiny, particularly once the initial honeymoon period ends and tougher policy decisions need selling to the public. listen to the episode
  • PR parents on surviving the summer holiday juggle – Summer might mean a quieter news cycle for some, but for working parents in PR, it can mean childcare and a serious planning. PRWeek spoke to parents across the industry about balancing client calls, deadlines and agency life with weeks of school holidays. read more
  • Is ‘job hugging’ holding PR back? – A growing number of PR professionals are reportedly staying in roles they may have outgrown, as economic uncertainty and concerns around job security make moving feel like too much of a risk. PRWeek reports that LinkedIn research found 71% of UK recruiters have seen a rise in ‘job hugging’ over the past year. read more
  • OpenAI warns over AI agents taking destructive actions – OpenAI is facing fresh scrutiny after reports that Codex users experienced files or databases being deleted while using AI agents with broad computer access. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:

Metro:

Newsweek:

Freelance:

NationalWorld:

Reach plc:

Mail on Sunday:

Futurenet:

Or head to the marketplace now to look at the full list of requests yourself.

…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.

Have something great to share?

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.

While half the industry is on annual leave and holiday, journalists are still looking for stories to fill the diary throughout the summer.

Do you have something worth sharing? Whether an expert comment, a case study, data, or just a fresh angle, they’re all still in demand, so you can send them to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll help get them in front of the right journalists.

Now, onto The Loop, live journo requests, PR tips and the news worth knowing this week.

🔥 MUST READ

…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves

PR and communications manager Richard Woodall shared a reminder that every PR should keep in their back pocket:

“The press release is usually the smallest part of the job.”

The real work happens long before you hit send: questioning whether something is genuinely newsworthy, finding the right angle, understanding what a journalist’s audience cares about and pressure-testing the story from a reporter’s perspective. The takeaway is that coverage doesn’t happen because you have an announcement. It happens because you’ve shaped that announcement into a story people actually want to read.

👉 Read the full LinkedIn article here

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

Here’s what we think you should see this week:

  • PR is officially a £7.1bn industry – A new independent report from the PRCA has, for the first time, put a number on the UK public relations sector: £7.1 billion in economic contribution and more than 95,000 jobs supported across the country. The research also found that PR professionals generate around 55% more value per worker than the creative industries average, putting the sector alongside other high-value professional services. read more
  • Should PRs still pick up the phone? – PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast tackles a surprisingly divisive question: are pitch phone calls still part of modern media relations, or have they become a thing of the past? The episode also explores how Gen Z communicators are navigating LinkedIn, AI, networking and the changing expectations of the industry. listen to the episode
  • Media relationships aren’t dead, they’re just different – Long lunches and little black books might be fading, but a new PRmoment feature argues that relationships between PRs and journalists matter more than ever, they’ve simply changed shape. In a world of smaller newsrooms and AI-clogged inboxes, the new currency is trust, relevance and reliability. read more
  • 10 top journalists share their best pitching advice – In the latest edition of her Get Featured newsletter, Rosie Taylor pulled together pitching advice from ten editors and reporters across titles including The Telegraph, The Sunday Times, The Sun, ITV News and the Daily Mail. read more
  • A magazine is replacing some fiction commissions with AI – Bauer Media’s monthly Take a Break-branded fiction magazine has told writers it is pausing commissions as it introduces the use of AI tools to help produce more content in house. According to AI-checking service Pangram, short stories appearing in the title credited to the in-house team are 100% AI generated. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:

Metro:

Newsweek:

Freelance:

NationalWorld:

Reach plc:

Mail on Sunday:

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.

Have something great?

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.