Synapse Expert Database lets journalists browse experts by topic, so your spokespeople can get found without you doing the same pitch on repeat.

How would that work?

  • Add specific topics so your expert matches the right stories
  • Add a source link (website/LinkedIn/X) so journalists can quickly verify
  • Keep the bio short and useful (save the fluff for awards season)

👉Get your expert listed

Now, welcome back to The Loop: scroll on for fresh journo requests, media updates, and the PR trends we’re watching this month.

 

🔥 MUST READ

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

Saskia Fryer, freelance digital PR consultant, dropped some no-fluff advice for PRs looking to get their experts looking to get noticed by the media this year.

Her key takeaway?

“Be clear on your expertise. If a journalist has to work out what you do, then they’re less likely to work with you. Specialists get noticed.”

From showing up online as a real human to having your commentary ready to go, this one’s a solid reminder that visibility is built before the pitch.

👉 Read the full post here

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • 50 ‘experts’ flagged for misleading or unverifiable claims – Press Gazette has published a list of individuals and linked brands that UK publishers are being warned to treat with caution. A must-read for PRs pushing expert commentary, now that the bar for credibility is higher than ever. read more
  • Google traffic is down, and it’s reshaping newsrooms – PG’s 2025 trends report reveals a major drop in Google referral traffic, pushing publishers to rethink distribution and audience strategies. For PRs, it’s a sign to double down on relevance and owned visibility in 2026. read more
  • What communications management really means – Stephen Waddington breaks down the difference between doing comms and managing comms. It’s a sharp reminder that leadership in PR isn’t about delivering outputs, but it’s about enabling others to communicate effectively. read more
  • Google removes multiple AI health summaries as experts warn ‘misleading’ results put people at risk – The Independent reports that Google’s AI-generated search summaries have been giving inaccurate or even dangerous health guidance, raising fresh concerns about reliability and misinformation. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Reach plc:

Triangle News:

Newspage Media:

Or head to the marketplace now to look at requests yourself.

📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS

…because we don’t want you missing out on stuff in February.

🗓️ 1 Feb: GRAMMYs – Taking place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with two new categories added: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover

🏉 5 Feb: Six Nations Begins: France and Ireland will kick off the 2026 Six Nations Championship under the lights in Paris on Thursday 5th February. The opening round continues on Saturday 7th February, with Italy hosting Scotland in Rome, followed by England facing Wales at Twickenham.

🎬 6 Feb: The Strangers: Chapter 3 movie release – Starring Madelaine Petsch

🏔️ 6 Feb: Olympic Winter Games: takes place in Milano Cortina, ending on February 22nd.

🏏 7 Feb: Men’s Cricket World Cup – The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

🏈 8 Feb: Super Bowl LX – Held in the San Francisco Bay Area with Bad Bunny headlining the halftime show

🔍 10 Feb: Searches for Valentine’s Day gifts peak, according to Google Trends

📊 12 Feb: UK GDP Report Announcement: Monthly GDP estimate for December 2025 and First quarterly estimate for Q4 2025

📦 13 Feb: Searches for ‘next day delivery’ peak

🎬 13 Feb: Wuthering Heights (2026) – starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi

❤️ 14 Feb: Valentine’s Day – According to MailMetro, 47% of people said Valentine’s Day should celebrate all kinds of love

🔍 15 Feb: Searches for ‘late Valentine’s Day gifts’ begin to rise

📚 16 Feb: Half Term Begins

📈 18 Feb: Lloyds Banking Group plc Annual Report published
✝️ 18 Feb: Ash Wednesday (Lent Begins)

🎬 20 Feb: Splitsville (2025) movie release – Comedy starring Dakota Johnson, Michael Angelo Covino, Adria Arjona, and Kyle Marvin

🎞️ 22 Feb: BAFTAs – 10% of MetroMedia’s audience say a BAFTA win makes them more likely to watch a film

🐲 24 Feb: Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse – People born in a Year of the Horse are said to be energetic, independent and charismatic

🍿 26 Feb: Scream 7, UK movie release date – Horror/Mystery starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Isabel May, Jasmin Savoy Brown

Synapse Expert Database is live!

It’s a simple shift, instead of pitching the same experts again and again, you list them once, and journalists can find them when they’re actively looking.

How it works:

  • You create an expert profile (it only takes a few minutes)
  • Journalists browse by topic, sector, region and more and shortlist relevant voices
  • Your expert can be discovered repeatedly, without extra chasing

What makes it work (and why journalists will actually use it):

  • Mandatory info so profiles aren’t empty or vague
  • Source links (website / LinkedIn / X) for quick verification
  • Trustworthy for journalists, and for you, that means not getting lost amongst the spam in their inbox

Your “do this first” checklist:

  • Add your first expert checklist
  • Add specific keyword tags (e.g. “UK rental market” not “property”)
  • Add a LinkedIn profile so they’re easy to verify

👉Add your experts here

Right, welcome back to The Loop: scroll on for fresh journo requests, media updates, and the PR trends we’re watching this month.

 

🔥 MUST READ

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

Becks Wiper, EVP, PHA North at The PHA Group, used this week’s Brooklyn Beckham moment as a live case study in modern crisis comms, and what it shows is clear: PR has shifted. Silence can still be a strategy, but social media has become the frontline.

Her key takeaway?

“Once it’s on social, it’s public, permanent and dissected in real time.”

Whether you’re advising brands or individuals, this is a reminder that crisis comms in 2026 started with timing, tone, and knowing who’s actually in control of the message.

👉 Read the full Linkedin post here

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • Buzzstream: The downsides of media databases and pitching beyond – In this episode, Charlie Russell, the Founder and CEO of Synapse talks about what’s actually changing across the industry right now: how journalists want to be contacted, why relationships matter more than ever, and what tools (and mindsets) are evolving to meet the moment. read more
  • Times and Daily Mail top UK news app engagement rankings – Ipsos iris reveals the most popular news apps in the UK, with The Times and Daily Mail leading on user engagement. For PRs, it’s a reminder that owned apps are still powerful channels for reaching loyal readers. read more
  • How the media landscape is reshaping PR – Stephen Waddington outlines how shifts in news consumption, trust, and tech are forcing PR to evolve, from volume-led coverage chasing to relevance, authority, and long-term relationship building. read more
  • Global publisher Google traffic dropped by a third in 2025 – Google search traffic to publishers declined globally by a third in the year to November, according to new Chartbeat data. Dramatic decline expected to continue throughout 2026. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Reach plc:

Triangle News:

Newspage Media:

The Sun & The Times:

Newsquest:

Or head to the marketplace now to look at requests yourself.

📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS

…because we don’t want you missing out on stuff in February.

🗓️ 1 Feb: GRAMMYs – Taking place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with two new categories added: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Album Cover

🏉 5 Feb: Six Nations Begins: France and Ireland will kick off the 2026 Six Nations Championship under the lights in Paris on Thursday 5th February. The opening round continues on Saturday 7th February, with Italy hosting Scotland in Rome, followed by England facing Wales at Twickenham.

🎬 6 Feb: The Strangers: Chapter 3 movie release – Starring Madelaine Petsch

🏔️ 6 Feb: Olympic Winter Games: takes place in Milano Cortina, ending on February 22nd.

🏏 7 Feb: Men’s Cricket World Cup – The 10th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

🏈 8 Feb: Super Bowl LX – Held in the San Francisco Bay Area with Bad Bunny headlining the halftime show

🔍 10 Feb: Searches for Valentine’s Day gifts peak, according to Google Trends

📊 12 Feb: UK GDP Report Announcement: Monthly GDP estimate for December 2025 and First quarterly estimate for Q4 2025

📦 13 Feb: Searches for ‘next day delivery’ peak

🎬 13 Feb: Wuthering Heights (2026) – starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi

❤️ 14 Feb: Valentine’s Day – According to MailMetro, 47% of people said Valentine’s Day should celebrate all kinds of love

🔍 15 Feb: Searches for ‘late Valentine’s Day gifts’ begin to rise

📚 16 Feb: Half Term Begins

📈 18 Feb: Lloyds Banking Group plc Annual Report published
✝️ 18 Feb: Ash Wednesday (Lent Begins)

🎬 20 Feb: Splitsville (2025) movie release – Comedy starring Dakota Johnson, Michael Angelo Covino, Adria Arjona, and Kyle Marvin

🎞️ 22 Feb: BAFTAs – 10% of MetroMedia’s audience say a BAFTA win makes them more likely to watch a film

🐲 24 Feb: Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse – People born in a Year of the Horse are said to be energetic, independent and charismatic

🍿 26 Feb: Scream 7, UK movie release date – Horror/Mystery starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Isabel May, Jasmin Savoy Brown

If BrightonSEO reminded us of anything, it’s this: great coverage starts with a great pitch. We launched Lloyd’s Pitch Clinic and met loads of you who actually get why pitching smarter matters.

Couldn’t make it to Brighton? No worries, there is still time for you to post your first-ever pitch and be part of our First Pitch Club (and win something for it). So, keep that momentum going, and get it seen by the right journalists.

Right, now welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of what actually matters: stories, dates, requests, and tips worth reading.

1761557758161

Synapse team attending BrightonSEO conference (October 23-24)

🔥 MUST READ

…advice we’ve spotted from the experts

✨ PR pro Vicky Voitenko, Head of Operations at OBA PR, shared one of the best breakdowns we’ve seen on what real journalist relationships look like – the kind that turn you from a cold inbox pitch into a trusted expert source.

Her key takeaway? The best PRs don’t just pitch stories – they position their clients (and themselves) as the go-to voices journalists call when news breaks.

“Most PRs pitch when they need coverage. The ones who win provide consistent value before they need anything.”

Vicky outlines a 7-step framework built on research, relevance, and trust – a must-read for anyone serious about media relationships that last.

👉Read her Linkedin post here

✨ Another great tip we want to mention is Digital PR Charlie Clark‘s tip from his talk at BrightonSEO this past week, who discussed how AI-powered search engines are changing the way people discover content online and what that means for PRs and SEOs.

Want to dive deeper? Scroll through his key takeaways here

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • The pressure’s on: Why PRs must prioritise value, not volume – In his latest Substack, Stephen Waddington argues that PR needs to move away from chasing coverage numbers and focus on delivering genuine business impact. With budgets tightening and AI reshaping workflows, the value conversation is becoming more urgent than ever. read more
  • Google accused of promoting fake content to millions – Press Gazette reports that Google’s Discover news feed has been surfacing fake or AI-generated stories to millions of users, raising fresh questions about the platform’s role in amplifying misinformation and eroding trust in real journalism. read more
  • Cloudflare CEO: Google must ‘play by the same rules’ on AI – In an interview with Digiday, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince called for greater accountability from Google, arguing the tech giant shouldn’t get a free pass as AI reshapes the web. Prince says transparency and fair standards are essential to protect publishers and level the playing field. read more
  • AI is “stealing traffic and undermining trust” warn publishers – Publishers are warning that AI search tools are not only diverting traffic from news sites but also spreading misinformation with inaccurate answers while eroding audience trust in the process. read more
  • Freelancers demand control over AI use of their work – A Press Gazette survey shows most freelance journalists want stronger safeguards around how AI tools access and reproduce their content – calling for transparency, consent, and fair compensation as standard. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Irish Star, Birmingham Live, Manchester Evening News:

Reach plc:

Insider Digital:

Newsquest:

Real Homes/Future:

Freelance:

MailOnline:

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 in November .

🛍️ 3rd: 1 in 4 Brits start Christmas shopping early – according to Google Trends, Christmas shopping ideas peak.

🎆 4th: Bonfire Night – 27% of Brits attend a fireworks display, worth £248m to retailers, according to MailMetro.

💷 6th: Bank Rate Announcement – Monetary Policy Committee meets again

📈 7th: Google Trends shows spikes in “gift guides” from this week onward

❄️ 7th: Battersea Power Station’s riverside ice rink, Glide, reopens in  London

🎖️ 8th: Searches for ‘Christmas adverts’ peak

🎄 9th: ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ searches peak in the UK, according to Google Trends

❄️ 14th: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland – London’s attraction opens doors for visitors

👑 14th: King Charles’ 77th birthday

🎬 14th: ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ – UK release date, starring Dave Franco

💳 20th: Searches for ‘Black Friday deals’ begin to rise.

🧙‍♀️ 21st: ‘Wicked: For Good’ – UK release date, starring Ariana Grande

🛒 22nd: 71% of last year’s Black Friday shoppers pre-planned purchases, according to MailMetroMedia.

📊 26th: UK Autumn Budget announced – overview of the UK government’s plans for taxation, public spending, and the economy.

🍿 26th:  The final season of ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ hits screens

🖤 28th: Black Friday

🦊 28th: ‘Zootopia 2’ – UK release date

BrightonSEO is happening this week (23-24 October), and we’ll be there too! If you’re heading down, come say hi and pitch live in Lloyd’s Pitch Clinic. This is your chance to get feedback, sharpen your angle, and get your story ready for the media.

And if you can’t make it, no worries! Pitch Fever’s still on. There’s plenty of time to post your first pitch (and maybe win something for it).

Now, welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of journo requests, PR tips, and media news that made the headlines.

Here’s what’s hot…

🔥 MUST READ

…advice we’ve spotted from the experts

Elise Brown, PR Data & Insights Lead at Flaunt Digital, broke down BuzzStream’s review of 2,000+ YouGov surveys, revealing what turns simple data into coverage gold. Her takeaway? The best campaigns don’t just show numbers, they spark emotion and conversation.

“Emotion, simplicity, and relevance still prevail every time.”

👉 Read Elise’s full post on LinkedIn

Also, another data post caught our eye this week: Business & Consumer journalist Jane Hamilton’s 2-minute Media Training Monday on survey stories, tips and tricks to boost your press coverage. Have a read.

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • How publishers can grow revenue as traffic declines – With web traffic dropping across much of the industry, Press Gazette explores how publishers are shifting focus from chasing clicks to building loyalty through subscriptions, newsletters, and direct audience relationships. read more
  • Wikipedia sees traffic dip as AI summaries rise – The Independent reports that Wikipedia’s page visits have dropped sharply, with experts suggesting AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews are providing users with quick answers. read more
  • How AI Search is changing publisher visibility – An interesting insight on how AI-powered search tools are reshaping the traffic game for publishers, with visibility, attribution, and referral clicks all being rewritten in real time. read more
  • Social media comments can help spot misinformation early – A new University of Exeter study finds that comments under social media posts can act as early warning signals for misinformation, with users often flagging false claims faster than platforms’ own detection systems. read more
  • Why most communicators aren’t ready for what’s coming – In his latest Substack, Stephen Waddington argues that most comms pros are unprepared for the scale of change AI and automation will bring, not because of the tech itself, but because the industry still struggles to adapt fast enough. read more
  • Freelance journalists push for control over AI use of their work – A new Press Gazette survey reveals that most freelance journalists want stronger protections and transparency around how AI tools use their content, with many calling for clearer consent and compensation models. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Reach plc:

Insider Media:

Newsquest:

Real Homes/Future:

Freelance:

MailOnline:

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 in November .

🛍️ 3rd: 1 in 4 Brits start Christmas shopping early – according to Google Trends, Christmas shopping ideas peak.

🎆 4th: Bonfire Night – 27% of Brits attend a fireworks display, worth £248m to retailers, according to MailMetro.

💷 6th: Bank Rate Announcement – Monetary Policy Committee meets again

📈 7th: Google Trends shows spikes in “gift guides” from this week onward

❄️ 7th: Battersea Power Station’s riverside ice rink, Glide, reopens in  London

🎖️ 8th: Searches for ‘Christmas adverts’ peak

🎄 9th: ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ searches peak in the UK, according to Google Trends

❄️ 14th: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland – London’s attraction opens doors for visitors

👑 14th: King Charles’ 77th birthday

🎬 14th: ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ – UK release date, starring Dave Franco

💳 20th: Searches for ‘Black Friday deals’ begin to rise.

🧙‍♀️ 21st: ‘Wicked: For Good’ – UK release date, starring Ariana Grande

🛒 22nd: 71% of last year’s Black Friday shoppers pre-planned purchases, according to MailMetroMedia.

📊 26th: UK Autumn Budget announced – overview of the UK government’s plans for taxation, public spending, and the economy.

🍿 26th:  The final season of ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ hits screens

🖤 28th: Black Friday

🦊 28th: ‘Zootopia 2’ – UK release date