At Synapse, we know that inboxes are broken. Journalists are overwhelmed, PRs are frustrated, and important stories are getting lost. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of Slack Notifications for Synapse, a new feature designed to bring PR pitches, requests, and updates directly into the place where journalists are already working: Slack.
Why Slack?
Slack is now central to the daily workflow of countless newsrooms. Editorial teams across major publishers run their operations through Slack, from story assignments to breaking news updates. That’s exactly why we felt the need to change the way we communicate.
Synapse 2.0 now supports Slack notifications, so journalists can get alerts directly in their Slack workspace. We’re ensuring that journalists can receive timely and relevant story updates without ever needing to leave the platform they’re already using. For PRs, it means their content is delivered into the tools journalists already use, without opening their inbox.
How it works for Journalists?
Journalists will receive real-time updates such as:
- New Pitch Alerts – tailored PR pitches based on your coverage areas.
- Private and Exclusive Pitches – personalised stories chosen specifically for you.
- Request Updates – notifications when a PR responds to your journalist request.
- Connection Updates – alerts when PRs accept your connection requests.
- Messages – Synapse in-platform messages delivered straight into Slack.
Notifications remain fully controlled by you and Synapse, ensuring zero spam and complete user control.
Why it matters for PRs?
For PR professionals, this is a game-changer. Instead of pitches languishing in crowded email inboxes, stories now land exactly where journalists will see them – their Slack channels.
As Lloyd Embley, former editor-in-chief Reach plc explains:
“Slack now sits at the heart of a huge range of news organisations – everything flows through it. It’s for this reason that we have prioritised incorporating Slack integration into our Synapse 2.0 platform.”
By surfacing pitches in Slack, Synapse increases the visibility and impact of PR outreach, helping stories get the attention they deserve.
Taking action without leaving Slack
Synapse Slack Notifications aren’t just alerts – they’re interactive. Journalists and PRs can:
- Like a pitch to show interest instantly.
- Spike a pitch to indicate it’s not relevant.
- View pitch details with a single click, leading straight to Synapse.
- Reply to requests or messages directly from Slack.
This means fewer disruptions, faster responses, and smoother collaboration for both sides.
How to get started?
Connect in under 30 seconds.
- Profile → Edit Profile
- Open the Alerts tab
- Click Connect Slack for Notifications (purple)
- Choose your Slack workspace → Allow
- Tick the alerts you want (change any time)
Building for the future
Former editor at Reach PLC and Executive Director, Lloyd Embley concludes:
“I cannot stress strongly enough how much this will help PRs to put their content exactly where they need it – instead of languishing unread in a bloated email inbox. Synapse is radically modernising the way PRs and journalists communicate and share information in a world of ever-increasing time pressures and demands on efficiency and efficacy.”
With Slack Notifications, Synapse is closing the gap between journalists and PRs, reshaping how stories are discovered and shared.
The future of media collaboration is real-time and built into the platforms we already use. Slack notifications are just the beginning.
Slack is a trademark of Slack Technologies, LLC. Synapse is not affiliated with Slack Technologies.
We’ve spent the silly season thinking about what would actually help your PR stories get seen.
And we think we’ve cracked it. Not a DM. Not an email. But it gets noticed. More on that soon 👀
For now, welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of live journo requests, smart PR tips, and media news worth your time..
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“It didn’t matter exactly what the release said. What really mattered was the strength of the story, exclusivity, responsiveness, and some kind of prior relationship.”
Rosie Taylor breaks down why the best pitches she’s received this year all turned into national coverage, and it had little to do with the wording of the release and everything to do with story fit and relationships.
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we think you should see this week:
- Refinery29 shuts UK office – Lifestyle brand Refinery29 has closed its UK arm and laid off staff, marking another blow to lifestyle journalism and tightening the landscape for PRs pitching into the sector. read more
- Should you move into a PR specialism? – PR experts weigh in on whether going niche is the smartest career move in 2025 – specialisms can sharpen your value, but broad skills still matter. read more
- UK PR firms hit pause on hiring – Amid economic uncertainty, many UK agencies are freezing recruitment, raising questions about workloads, retention, and how teams can stay agile under pressure. read more
- Newsquest’s digital growth strategy – Newsquest credits record digital growth to prioritising community stories over chasing trending news, a reminder that hyperlocal relevance still beats click-chasing. read more
- Reach to cut 186 editorial roles in major shake-up – Reach plc will cut 186 editorial jobs as part of its latest restructure – its most significant to date, raising fresh concerns about newsroom resources and the future of local journalism. read more
- AI bots drain publisher websites without giving back – Publishers warn that bots scraping their content for AI models are undermining the economics of digital journalism, fueling calls for tougher protections and fairer deals. read more
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Reach plc:
- Looking for a chef’s opinion on fast food burgers
- Looking for an expert in travel to name their favourite UK beach
- Looking for an expert in the relevant laws to explain the laws/rules on whether you can cut/trim a neighbour’s tree
- Looking for farmers from the Penrith and Solway constituency who are or will be affected by inheritance tax
- Looking for the worst things restaurant customers can do
The i Paper:
- Looking for an inheritance tax expert to speak to about what they’re doing to reduce the bill for their own family
- Looking to speak to a student today whose university maintenance loan isn’t enough to cover their costs.
Metro:
Freelance:
- I need some specific and little-known tips on how to save money as a single person
- Still good to go? Why employees are less eager than ever to take that business trip and how employers can tackle the issue
Stylist:
Triangle News:
Daily Express/Daily Mirror:
Newsquest:
- Looking for beauty advent calendars to sample and review
- Looking for comments on whether or not motorists should pay a “parking fine” via text message and what they should do if they receive one.
Or head to the marketplace now to look our requests yourself.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
🏰 (TBC): The Traitors UK is back with their new celebrity version – Official launch date TBC
💡 1st: New energy price cap comes into force
🚛 1st: PMI Manufacturing data released
🎬 3rd: ‘The Smashing Machine’ UK release date – the latest A24 film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt
✨ 3rd: Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift’s new album, scheduled for release
🎤 4th: Katy Perrry kicks off the UK leg of her Lifetimes Tour
🪐 4th: Start of World Space Week
💼 5th: Deadline to register for self-assessment
🏘️ 6th: World Habitat Day – Last year, UK-focused articles by charities like Amnesty International UK and BRITA UK discussed its implications for housing and urban development within the country
🏠 7th: Halifax House Price Index
🎃 14th: Searches for ‘Pumpkin Patches’ typically peak – According to Google Trends, last year the peak was 13–19th of October
🧥 15th: Searches for ‘Winter Fashion’ peak – For five years in a row, this has been a trending topic on Google, according to reports, with the peak occurring between 15-24 October. Content covers winter wardrobes, knitwear, and layering
🎄16th: 3 in 10 Brits start Christmas shopping – According to MailMetro stats, the end of October has officially marked the start of decoration shopping.
💸 16th: Latest UK GDP figures released
👻 17th: ‘Black Phone 2’ horror UK release date – starring Ethan Hawke.
🏎️ 17th: Formula 1 USA Austin Grand Prix kicks off
🍿 17th: ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ UK release date – featuring Jack Nicholson
🧙♀️ 22nd: Searches for ‘Halloween Costume’ peak – According to Google Trends, most people in the UK watched ‘YouTube’ videos for costume inspiration, followed by ‘Image Search’
💸 22nd: UK inflation data released
🦸 24th: MCM Comic Con London starts – The biggest Pop Culture celebration in the UK will take place at ExCel, London.
⏳ 26th: End of British Summer Time
🍂 27th: Autumn Half Term begins
🟢 29th: Deadline for the Government’s new Carbon Budget Delivery Plan
📝 31st: Paper Self-Assessment Deadline (HMRC) – Last day to file a paper return. If missed, switch to online to avoid penalties.
Unfortunately, we can’t take your client calls for you; however, we can take some pitches off your hands and help you score coverage. Send your story to pitches@synapse.media (or add that address to your media list) and we’ll get it in front of the right journalists for you.
Now, welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of journo requests, must-read news and media relations tips.
Here’s what’s hot this week…
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“When you’re writing a press release or pitching a story to journalists, remember that phone.”
Top reminder from award-winning media trainer Guy Clapperton that journalists might be reading your email on their phone so how your pitch subject line appears on that phone matters.
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we’ve read this week so that you don’t have to:
- Daily Mail owner calls for crackdown on Google AI after traffic tanks– DMG wrote to the CMA saying that readership from Google searches has fallen by as much as 89% and called for the watchdog to extend its proposed regulation for the company to its Gemini chatbot and Google News Service. Read more.
- Reach to ‘radically reorganise’ editorial structure with one live news team– the plans intend to reduce duplication across Reach’s biggest brands, but are expected to involve redundancies. Staff have also been told to produce more video and less text-only content. Reach more.
- Wired says ‘AI-written’ story did not have ‘proper fact-check process’ – after Press Gazette revealed they, alongside other titles, had published an article bylined by a fake AI-generated author. Read more.
- Why trust in public relations is more than a barometer- From Stephen Waddington’s Substack, comms expert Charlotte explains how PR pros should be thinking about trust. Read more.
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Reach plc:
- Looking for an expert in travel to name their favourite UK beach
- Looking for an expert in the relevant laws to explain the laws/rules on whether you can cut/trim a neighbour’s tree
Newsquest:
LADbible:
The i Paper:
- Looking for an inheritance tax expert to speak to, about what they’re doing to reduce the bill for their own family
- Looking to speak to a student today whose university maintenance loan isn’t enough to cover their costs.
- Looking for some expert comments on the car finance scandal compensation scheme about what people can do next.
Metro:
- Looking to chat to renters who signed for a house without viewing it. Did it look anything like the photos at all?
- Looking to speak to wealthy people who lost all their money.
- Looking for What I own/rent property column – case studies.
Freelance:
- I need some specific and little-known tips on how to save money as a single person
- Still good to go? Why employees are less eager than ever to take that business trip and how employers can tackle the issue
Or head to the marketplace now to look our requests yourself.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…just because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
1 September: New car registrations – any vehicle registered from September 1st, 2025, onwards will display ’75’ as the registration identifier. 52% of Brits consider newsbrands a useful source of motoring info.
2 September: Back to School – According to MailMetro, 5.7 million parents engage with primary or secondary school content.
5 September: The Conjuring: Last Rites UK release date.
6 September: US Open Women’s Final
6 September: The Braemar Gathering, Aberdeenshire – One of the Royal Family’s favourite annual events.
7 September: US Open Men’s Final
7 September: Great North Run, Newcastle – According to Great Run, on average, there are 60,000 runners, making it the world’s biggest half-marathon.
8 September: Sexual Health Week starts
10 September: British Science Festival starts – held in Liverpool, organised by the British Science Association.
12 September: Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale UK release date.
12 September: Heritage Open Days begin – Free access to historic and normally closed buildings across England.
12 September: Jane Austen Festival begins, Bath
13 September: Roald Dahl Day
13 September: Open House Festival begins, London
15 September: Prince Harry’s 40th birthday – Royal-related coverage spikes.
17 September: Searches peak for ‘Freshers Week’ – According to Google Trends, these searches hit their highest point on this topic last year, putting Scotland at 100 (the maximum) and England at 76 search interest points.
18 September: London Fashion Week kicks off
18 September: Bank of England Interest Rate announcement – The Bank will meet to review the rate, opting to either increase, decrease or keep it level.
19 September: Women’s Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals
20 September: Oktoberfest begins
26 September: The Strangers: Chapter 2 UK release date.
27 September: Women’s Rugby World Cup Bronze Final and Final – Takes place at Twickenham Stadium, London
✨ BEFORE YOU GO
Got something great but no time?
Send it over to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.
Now is the perfect time to land coverage with case studies, expert comments, data insights and real-life angles that can run all summer. Drop your pitch into the Synapse marketplace or send it to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in front of the right journalists.
Now, welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of journo requests, sharp PR tips, and the media moves worth knowing about.
Here’s what’s hot this week…
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“Sometimes, when we’re on a strict deadline…it might cause the rush to send out as many emails to as many journalists as possible and risk damaging the relationships that lead to great PR.”
Freelance Digital PR Saskia Fryer’s advice is simple: stop blasting inboxes. Focus on journalists who actually cover your client’s niche, keep up with what they’re writing and offer relevant, human pitches.
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we’ve read this week so that you don’t have to:
- Working with and pitching to journalists in 2025 – In this episode of ‘Beyond the Noise’ podcast, journalists share what’s changed in how they want to be approached, and what PRs need to do to cut through in today’s inbox-heavy world. Listen to the episode here.
- Does brandjacking actually work? – Hijacking another brand’s moment can grab attention fast, but does it really build long-term impact? This piece weighs up the risks, rewards, and when brandjacking is worth the gamble. Read more.
- Are net zero and AI on a collision course? – AI could help tackle climate goals, but its vast energy demands risk putting net zero targets further out of reach. PRs need to watch carefully as both topics dominate the agenda. Read more.
- Agencies urged to be honest about AI expertise – An opinion piece by PRWeek on PR firms racing to badge themselves as AI specialists, but industry leaders warn against over-claiming without the skills or strategy to back it up. Read more.
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Reach plc:
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.
Daily Mirror / Express / Reach titles:
Newsquest:
LADbible:
The i Paper:
- Looking to speak to a student today whose university maintenance loan isn’t enough to cover their costs.
- Looking for some expert comments on the car finance scandal compensation scheme about what people can do next.
- Looking to speak to self-employed people/youngsters/a woman or someone who is worried about not having enough for retirement.
- Looking to speak to people who started paying into their pension at 18.
Metro:
- Looking to chat to renters who signed for a house without viewing it. Did it look anything like the photos at all?
- Looking to speak to wealthy people who lost all their money.
- Looking for What I own/rent property column – case studies.
- Looking to speak to parents who are in debt about how they talk about money around their kids.
- Looking for expert comments on what British customs leave other Europeans scratching their heads? (queuing, stag dos, the cuisine, etc.)
Or head to the marketplace now to look our requests yourself.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…just because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
1 September: New car registrations – any vehicle registered from September 1st, 2025, onwards will display ’75’ as the registration identifier. 52% of Brits consider newsbrands a useful source of motoring info.
2 September: Back to School – According to MailMetro, 5.7 million parents engage with primary or secondary school content.
5 September: The Conjuring: Last Rites UK release date.
6 September: US Open Women’s Final
6 September: The Braemar Gathering, Aberdeenshire – One of the Royal Family’s favourite annual events.
7 September: US Open Men’s Final
7 September: Great North Run, Newcastle – According to Great Run, on average, there are 60,000 runners, making it the world’s biggest half-marathon.
8 September: Sexual Health Week starts
10 September: British Science Festival starts – held in Liverpool, organised by the British Science Association.
12 September: Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale UK release date.
12 September: Heritage Open Days begin – Free access to historic and normally closed buildings across England.
12 September: Jane Austen Festival begins, Bath
13 September: Roald Dahl Day
13 September: Open House Festival begins, London
15 September: Prince Harry’s 40th birthday – Royal-related coverage spikes.
17 September: Searches peak for ‘Freshers Week’ – According to Google Trends, these searches hit their highest point on this topic last year, putting Scotland at 100 (the maximum) and England at 76 search interest points.
18 September: London Fashion Week kicks off
18 September: Bank of England Interest Rate announcement – The Bank will meet to review the rate, opting to either increase, decrease or keep it level.
19 September: Women’s Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals
20 September: Oktoberfest begins
26 September: The Strangers: Chapter 2 UK release date.
27 September: Women’s Rugby World Cup Bronze Final and Final – Takes place at Twickenham Stadium, London
✨ BEFORE YOU GO
Got something great but no time?
Send it over to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.
