Hey there,
Still sending hundreds of pitches and follow-ups? Yeah, not anymore.
Send your story to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in front of journalists who are actually looking for it. Quick and simple.
Now, welcome back to The Loop: your weekly scroll of live journo requests, smart PR tips, and media angles.
Here’s what’s landed this week…
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“Think like a journalist. Give them everything they need, upfront, in one clear and useful pitch.”
PRs need to adapt as UK newsrooms shrink. PR and Communications Manager Hannah Sheaf shares how to make your pitch stand out by being genuinely helpful.
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we’ve read this week so that you don’t have to:
- Telegraph sale is now official – RedBird IMI has completed its takeover of The Telegraph Media Group, closing a two-year ownership dispute and reigniting debate over foreign investment in UK media. read more
- AI isn’t the threat, but the unlock – PRWeek speaks to Edelman’s Ruth Warder and editor-in-chief Danny Rogers, saying AI won’t replace PRs, but it will expose who’s just going through the motions. read more
- The importance of PR in cybersecurity – When a cyberattack hits, how you communicate matters just as much as how you respond. PR should be prepped, not panicked. read more
- The PR jobs market is getting crowded – This episode of ‘Beyond The Noise’ podcast unpacks what’s driving the competition, how agencies are hiring in 2025, and how candidates can stand out. listen to the episode
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…just because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
- 5 June: NBA finals begin.
- 5 June: UK Environmental Accounts ONS data release – fresh ONS data tracking how the UK economy impacts the environment, from carbon emissions to green taxes.
- 6 June: ‘From the World of John Wick: Ballerina’ release date – set between the timelines of John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4
- 10 June: Searches for Father’s Day gifts peak – according to 2023/2024 stats.
- 13 June: Download Festival begins – Last year’s attendance was around 75,000 people.
- 14 June: King’s official birthday
- 17 June: Royal Ascot opens – MailOnline reaches 7 in 10 Brits who bet on horse racing.
- 19 June: Isle of Wight Festival – Ranks 6th for festival fame.
- 24 June: Midsummer’s Day – Before the change of calendars, Midsummer’s Day fell on 5 July.
- 25 June: Glastonbury Festival begins – Last year’s content pulled in 11M article views for MailOnline alone.
- 25 June: ‘F1’ movie release date – starring Brad Pitt.
- 27 June: ‘M3GAN 2.0’ release date – a sequel to the hit horror of 2022.
- 28 June: Armed Forces Day
- 28 June: Tour De France – a gruelling 21-stage route from Nice to Paris Champs-Elysées.
- 30 June: Social Media day – established in 2010 by Mashableto recognise the profound impact of social media on worldwide communication.
- 30 June: Wimbledon 2025 – The BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon was streamed more than 50 million times on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online.
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
- Newsquest: Looking to write a piece on the top 10 most stolen cars in the UK in the last year.
- National Newspaper: Seeking strong health stories for UK nationals via Jam Press.
- Daily Mirror / Express / Reach titles: Looking for real-life true crime stories and looking for expert comments on paramedics being left without police protection in potentially volatile situations.
- The i Paper: Looking to speak to someone who has withdrawn their full pension amount in the last year and has had to pay a large tax on it, looking for someone who either regrets not investing their money so they have more to give away as inheritance and looking to speak to someone who started investing their money specifically so they could leave more of an inheritance and looking to speak to people who offered significantly under the asking price for a flat/house and still had their offer accepted.
Or head to the marketplace now to look at requests yourself.
✨ BEFORE YOU GO
Got something great but short on time?
Send it over to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.
Hey there,
Got something great but no time to pitch? Synapse is the place to send your pitches to. Not somebody else’s inbox. Just ours.
Send your story to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll post it to the marketplace for you, so you don’t miss the coverage. No logins, just a step closer to getting picked up.
Now, welcome back to The Loop, your weekly scroll of live journo requests, smart PR tips, and media hooks that matter.
Here’s what’s hot this week:
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“Relationships over transactions, always.”
After 10+ years in PR, Shakira Sacks shares the five habits that actually land coverage, from thoughtful follow-ups to being human in your pitching.
👉 Read the LinkedIn post here
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
- Newsquest: Looking for expert commentary on how to stop your bins from smelling during the summer months, comments on bindweed and all the questions surrounding it and an expert opinion on whether you can be fined for cutting down a tree.
- National Newspaper: Seeking strong health stories for UK nationals via Jam Press.
- Daily Mirror / Express / Reach titles: Looking for real-life true crime stories and looking for expert comments on paramedics being left without police protection in potentially volatile situations.
- The Independent: Looking to speak to someone who has been a victim of fraud.
- The i Paper: Looking to speak to people today who don’t pay into a pension and have no regrets, looking to speak to someone who has withdrawn their full pension amount in the last year and has had to pay a large tax on it, looking for someone who either regrets not investing their money so they have more to give away as inheritance and looking to speak to people who offered significantly under the asking price for a flat/house and still had their offer accepted.
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:
- Seven media behaviours (and what they mean for PR) – Ofcom’s latest media research breaks down how audiences engage with media today and why PRs need to adapt. read more.
- How to start a story that actually gets read – Pulitzer prize winners of 2025 share 3 solid ways to open a pitch or press release that grabs attention fast. read more.
- Even cybercriminals are doing PR now – PRWeek reports on ransomware gangs using press tactics, including media statements and branding to control their narrative. read more.
- What broadcasters actually want from your pitch – BBC, ITV, Sky and 5 News executives say it straight: be quick, make it visual, and cut the fluff if you want to land coverage. read more.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…just because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
- 5 June: NBA finals begin.
- 5 June: UK Environmental Accounts ONS data release – fresh ONS data tracking how the UK economy impacts the environment, from carbon emissions to green taxes.
- 10 June: Searches for Father’s Day gifts peak – according to 2023/2024 stats
- 13 June: Download Festival begins – Last year’s attendance was around 75,000 people.
- 14 June: King’s official birthday
- 17 June: Royal Ascot opens – MailOnline reaches 7 in 10 Brits who bet on horse racing.
- 19 June: Isle of Wight Festival – Ranks 6th for festival fame.
- 25 June: Glastonbury Festival begins – Last year’s content pulled in 11M article views for MailOnline alone.
- 25 June: F1 movie release date – starring Brad Pitt
- 27 June: M3GAN 2.0 release date – a sequel to the hit horror of 2022.
- 28 June: Tour De France – a gruelling 21 stage route from Nice to Paris Champs-Elysées
- 30 June: Social Media day – established in 2010 by Mashableto recognise the profound impact of social media on worldwide communication.
- 30 June: Wimbledon 2025 – The BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon was streamed more than 50 million times on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online.
✨ BEFORE YOU GO
Got an expert, a story, or a pitch but short on time?
Send it over to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.
Here at Synapse, we’re all about helping PRs nail their pitches and make meaningful connections with journalists. But what really works when pitching to Felicity Thistlethwaite, Digital Content Director at The Stylist Group?
If you’re tired of sending emails and getting nothing back, this one’s for you. Felicity shared her advice on what makes a pitch land and what’s more likely to be ignored.
What Kind of Pitches Are You and the Team Looking For? What Really Makes a Story for You?
“We’re looking for stories with case studies and/or new figures/data on a topic. It’s got to have a hook, and ideally, we’ll have it as an exclusive. Avoid oversaturated stories, anything sensationalist or against brand ethos (no diets, no pap pictures etc).”
For PRs Wondering When to Pitch, Are There Any Timings, Deadlines or Meetings They Should Be Aware Of?
“We have a morning production meeting at 9.45; staff are usually online at 9.30 to plan for the pitching meeting.”
What Should PRs Include in Their 140-Character Headline to Grab Your Attention?
“Don’t waffle, make it succinct. Ronseal, as we’d call it. Do what it says on the tin.”
What’s Your Inbox Like at the Moment and How Do You Think Synapse Can Help?
“My inbox is FULL. I am desperately trying to get to below 100 emails to action. Removing the blind-mailing PR process from this will mean less delete-alls from me and maybe more responses.”
Let’s break it down:
It all comes down to this. Keeping pitches exclusive and data-driven, avoiding content that feels tired or against brand ethos and not wasting time on fluffy headlines. It’s all about making them clear and to the point.
Felicity Thistlethwaite’s insights are a reminder that clear, relevant, and exclusive content is what journalists value most.
With Synapse, you can refine your strategy and make sure your pitches are delivered and ready to be read. Ready to change the game?
Hey there,
Welcome to The Loop, Synapse’s weekly insider for the latest journo requests, PR tips, standout stories, and headlines actually worth your time.
Busy week? Same here. If you haven’t got time to upload your story, just email your pitch to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll sort it for you.
Here’s what’s hot this week:
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“Digital PR is no longer just for links – it’s shaping brand visibility in AI-generated results.”
Sheridan Okey shares key takeaways from the Digitaloft PR Summit. She’s talking about how digital PR can’t just be about SEO anymore, and why real stories matter more than just links or rankings.
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
- Reach: Looking for military stories on tech development, new kit, and global politics.
- LADbible: Looking for photography expert for an explanation on why Meghan Markle’s children’s hair appears to have different colours in different pics.
- National Newspaper: Seeking strong health stories for UK nationals via Jam Press.
- Metro UK: Looking for Harry Potter-adjacent experts to talk about the HBO reboot and nostalgia.
- Tyla: Looking for a meteorologist or climate scientist to speak with.
- Newsquest: Seeking tips on how to stop your bins smelling during the summer months, expert comments on how to keep grass healthy all year round and looking for expert comments on how and why Manuka Honey can help boost our immune system.
- Newsquest: Looking for expert opinion on whether it’s ok to drink warmed bottle water, expert comments on whether it’s safe to cook bacon in the air fryer and case studies on home and garden, motoring, and travel topics.
- Daily Mirror / Express / Reach titles: Looking for real-life true crime stories.
- The Independent: Looking to speak to someone who has been a victim of fraud.
- The i Paper: Looking for someone who took out a mortgage over age 50, ideally 60+ and looking to speak to people today who don’t pay into a pension and have no regrets.
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:
- Google’s AI summaries cut MailOnline traffic – early data shows AI overviews are causing major drops in click-throughs, with big implications for how your stories get seen. read more
- Mischief wins Samsung PR pitch – they have been appointed to work on creative campaigns for Samsung on a project basis. read more.
- How to bring numbers to life in PR? – If your data-led pitch isn’t landing, this is why. A sharp guide for PRs on turning dry stats into stories that journalists actually want to cover, with real examples and quick wins. read more.
- UK publishers pushed to accept AI scraping – Google’s new terms mean media outlets must allow AI tools to train on their content if they want to stay visible in search. read more
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…just because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
- 5 June: NBA finals begin.
- 5 June: UK Environmental Accounts ONS data release – fresh ONS data tracking how the UK economy impacts the environment, from carbon emissions to green taxes.
- 10 June: Searches for Father’s Day gifts peak – according to 2023/2024 stats
- 13 June: Download Festival begins – Last year’s attendance was around 75,000 people.
- 17 June: Royal Ascot opens – MailOnline reaches 7 in 10 Brits who bet on horse racing.
- 19 June: Isle of Wight Festival – Ranks 6th for festival fame.
- 25 June: Glastonbury Festival begins – Last year’s content pulled in 11M article views for MailOnline alone.
- 25 June: F1 movie release date – starring Brad Pitt
- 27 June: M3GAN 2.0 release date – a sequel to the hit horror of 2022.
- 28 June: Tour De France – a gruelling 21 stage route from Nice to Paris Champs-Elysées
- 30 June: Social Media day – established in 2010 by Mashableto recognise the profound impact of social media on worldwide communication.
- 30 June: Wimbledon 2025 – The BBC’s coverage of Wimbledon was streamed more than 50 million times on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online.
✨ BEFORE YOU GO
Got a story, expert, or a pitch but short on time?
Send it over to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.
