Pitching is getting harder than ever, with mistrust in inboxes at an all-time high. This means that journalists want to build new relationships with quality PRs. Synapse is a verified marketplace so we can help you beat this.

If you’ve got something great, send it to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll help get it seen.

Right, let’s get into The Loop, journo requests, PR tips and the news worth knowing this week. Oh, and next month’s dates!

🔥 MUST READ

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

Lucy Moore, Senior PR & Comms Consultant, calls out a common mistake: treating PR as something you switch on only when there’s news.

Her key takeaway?

“Consistency is what builds credibility.”

A few big hits might feel like progress, but without ongoing commentary, fast replies and clear narratives, things go quiet quickly.

The PRs who win? They show up regularly, say something meaningful, and build media relations over time.

👉 Read Lucy’s full LinkedIn post

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • AI can support writing, but it can’t replace it – A new take on AI in comms makes one thing clear: while AI is great for summarising and structuring, it struggles with tone, nuance and originality. Over-reliance leads to flat content that readers can spot instantly, and trust drops as a result. For PRs, the takeaway is simple: use AI to support the process, not to replace the voice. The human layer is still what makes content land. read more
  • AI in newsrooms: opportunity vs trust risk – Reach’s chief content officer David Higgerson outlines the balance publishers are trying to strike with AI – using it to speed up workflows, but not at the cost of trust. With tools now verifying sources and flagging fake experts, the message is clear: credibility is under scrutiny like never before. read more
  • The Standard shifts digital ops to The Independent – The Independent is taking over digital operations for The Standard, with more than 30 staff leaving and a restructured newsroom focused on digital, video and newsletters. It’s another clear shift towards leaner, digital-first publishing models. read more
  • Telegraph takeover cleared after years of uncertainty – The UK government has approved Axel Springer’s £575m acquisition of the Telegraph, bringing an end to nearly three years of ownership uncertainty. With plans for investment and international growth, the move signals continued consolidation and ambition at the top end of the media market. read more
  • PR agencies largely keeping pace with inflation – New PRWeek data shows most agencies are increasing salaries in line with or above inflation, alongside boosting bonuses and wellbeing support. With talent retention still a challenge, it’s clear agencies are investing beyond pay, with mental health and benefits playing a bigger role in keeping teams engaged. read more
  • PR’s ageism problem under the spotlight – From Beyond the Noise, PRWeek’s latest podcast tackles ageism in the industry, and why comms is still one of the hardest sectors to navigate as you get older. The discussion looks at the stereotypes, the impact on careers, and what needs to change to better value experience. listen to the episode

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Reach plc:

Mail on Sunday:

MoneyWeek:

Metro:

Daily Mirror:

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 May.

🎬 1 May: The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) movie release date – Comedy / Drama, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Simone Ashley.

🧙 2 May: International Harry Potter Day – Celebrating the day Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts, and the day that the Battle of Hogwarts and the Second Wizarding War ended.

👑 3 May: Princess Charlotte turns 11

⚡ 4 May: Star Wars Day – “May the fourth be with you!”

🎥 4 May: Met Gala – The theme is “Costume Art,” highlighting fashion as an embodied art form and the relationship between clothes and the body. The dress code is “Fashion is Art”.

🌮 5 May: Cinco de Mayo

🧠 7 May: Business insights and impact on the UK economy to be released – A look at how current challenges are affecting UK businesses – from financial performance to hiring, trade, and resilience.

🎬 7 May: Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026) – Documentary / Biography / Music, starring Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Nicko McBrain and Adrian Smith.

🎖️ 8 May: VE Day

🎬 8 May: Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D (2026) – Documentary / Music, starring Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.

📊 14 May: GDP first quarterly estimate (Jan-Mar 2026) –The first snapshot of UK economic performance. Covers the total value of goods and services across the economy.

🎤 16 May: Eurovision Final – 1 in 4 plan to watch Eurovision, rising to 3 in 5 among 18–24s, held at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.
⚽ 16 May: FA Cup Final

🎬 16 May: Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass (2025) – Animation / Adventure / Comedy, starring Li Baixin, Mino Eek, Zhang Gang and Jiang Wen Jin.

🎾 18 May: French Open begins – held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The 2026 French Open will retain the use of human line judges, unlike the other Grand Slam tournaments, which have shifted to electronic line calling.

🌸 19 May: Chelsea Flower Show begins

💷 20 May: Consumer price inflation (April 2026) – Latest inflation figures, including CPI. Shows how prices are changing across everyday goods and service

🏦 25 May: Spring Bank Holiday – 43% of Brits spend more on bank holiday weekends than a normal weekend.

🎬 29 May: My Mother’s Wedding (2026) – Comedy / Drama, starring Scarlett Johansson.

Synapse Spotlight was built for PRs who are good at what they do, so we think their work deserves to be recognised.

The bigger picture? Journalists are dealing with full inboxes, repeated pitches and a lot of email back-and-forth. That means even strong PRs can get lost in the everyday workflow. Not because they do not have great stories, or are not relevant, but because they have not had the chance to build trust yet.

That is where Synapse Spotlight comes in.

What is Synapse Spotlight?

It is not a directory. It is a way of putting credible PRs in front of journalists who are actually likely to need their expertise.

Selected PRs are featured on LinkedIn and shared directly with the Synapse journalist community, helping put them in front of the right people. The Spotlight profiles also give journalists a clearer sense of who a PR is, what they cover, who they represent and the kinds of stories they are already working on.

A Spotlight profile shows:

  • the areas a PR can comment on
  • the brands they represent
  • the stories they are currently pitching
  • how quickly they usually respond
  • why a journalist might come to them in the first place

So rather than being just another name in an inbox, PRs get the chance to show journalists what they actually bring to the table.

Why this matters for journalists?

As we have mentioned already, journalists need trusted contacts.

When it comes to tight deadlines, they don’t want to guess the PR who might be helpful. They want to know who covers a topic, who can move quickly and who has something genuinely relevant to say.

That is what makes Synapse Spotlight useful. It gives journalists a shortcut to the right people.

That saves time, but it also helps with something bigger: building stronger relationships with PRs they know they can rely on.

Why this matters for PRs?

For PRs, Synapse Spotlight is about more than being visible. It is about cutting through crowded inboxes and standing out for the right reasons.

Journalists want to know who they are dealing with. They want to know that when they reach out, they will get a fast reply, a useful comment and a story that makes sense for their audience. Synapse Spotlight helps PRs show exactly that.

For PRs, Synapse Spotlight is about more than being visible. We want to showcase why you’re a Synapse PR. When a journalist sees your name alongside your expertise, your client list and your current story angles, you come across differently. To them, you are someone with a clear idea and knowledge, as well as a record of being useful along the way.

Real examples from Synapse Spotlight

We continue to highlight great PR. The existing Spotlight profiles make the value of this approach easy to see. 

Our spotlight was on Sophie Wylie from iDHL and her profile positions her as a strong contact for lifestyle commentary. It includes brands she represents and a range of current story angles, including allergy-safe plants, burnout symptoms, spring cleaning value and social media privacy settings. Her profile also notes an average media response time within 24 hours.

Distinctly’s Eva Langley’s Spotlight profile shows the range of areas she can support with, from gardening and home maintenance to hair loss, family law and vaping. Her current pitches include seasonal garden advice, vape-related data and cosmetic procedure trends, and her profile states that she typically replies within 24 hours.

Lauren Shelley from Marketing Signals’s profile focuses on digital PR, media and marketing. Her featured story angle looks at AI content farms and domain authority, and her Spotlight makes it clear that journalists can come to her for anything related to digital PR. Her reply time is also listed as typically within 24 hours.

These examples work because they feel grounded. The best part? They give journalists something concrete to work with.

How about that bigger Synapse picture?

The Synapse Spotlight also connects to a wider Synapse message. It’s very simple and it is about helping users land coverage and links without media lists. It’s fair to say Synapse has secured more than 1,000 pieces of coverage in top publications, which reinforces the wider goal behind this series.

It helps journalists find trusted PRs faster. It helps PRs show their value more clearly, and definitely makes introductions feel more relevant. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?

Want to be part of it?

Got something worth covering? Don’t let it sit there.

Journalists on Synapse are actively looking for expert comments, case studies, real-life stories and data. If you’ve got it, send it to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll put it in front of the right people.

Now, onto The Loop, your weekly scroll of journo requests, PR tips and news you don’t want to skip.

🔥 MUST READ

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

Cheryl Crossley, Head of PR at IDHL, calls out one of PR’s oldest myths; it’s all about who you know. Her key takeaway?

“Relevance beats rapport. Every single time.”

Journalists don’t publish stories because they like you. They publish them because the story works. Strong contacts can absolutely help, but they won’t rescue a weak angle. If it’s not timely, useful, or right for their audience, it’s not landing.

👉 Read Cheryl’s LinkedIn post here

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • “Fewer, better stories” is driving growth at The Times – The Times says a strategy of publishing “fewer, better stories” has led to three consecutive months of record-breaking global audience growth. The Times news desk has reduced the number of stories it publishes by 20% since the mindset change while the sports desk cut its output by 30%. read more
  • “Agency paralysis” is slowing down PR firms – A new PRmoment discussion highlights how growing complexity, from AI adoption to shifting business models, this is leaving many agencies stuck in decision-making mode. And what’s the outlook? A split market, with some agencies leaning into tech platforms, while others double down on strategy, creativity and culture. read more
  • Wired drops UK print to double down on digital growth – Wired is scrapping its UK print edition as it focuses on global digital subscribers and direct audience growth. The strategy? Build a loyal, owned audience through newsletters, social and original reporting, not rely on platforms like Google. read more
  • Google update brings modest gains for news sites – The Guardian, Money Saving Expert, Substack and The New York Times appear to have been the biggest winners from Google’s latest core update, according to new Sistrix data, but overall there was “little impact” on news websites. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Reach plc:

Newsquest:

Mail on Sunday:

MoneyWeek:

Metro:

Daily Mirror:

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 May.

🎬 1 May: The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) movie release date – Comedy / Drama, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Simone Ashley.

🧙 2 May: International Harry Potter Day – Celebrating the day Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts, and the day that the Battle of Hogwarts and the Second Wizarding War ended.

👑 3 May: Princess Charlotte turns 11

⚡ 4 May: Star Wars Day – “May the fourth be with you!”

🎥 4 May: Met Gala – The theme is “Costume Art,” highlighting fashion as an embodied art form and the relationship between clothes and the body. The dress code is “Fashion is Art”.

🌮 5 May: Cinco de Mayo

🧠 7 May: Business insights and impact on the UK economy to be released – A look at how current challenges are affecting UK businesses – from financial performance to hiring, trade, and resilience.

🎬 7 May: Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026) – Documentary / Biography / Music, starring Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Nicko McBrain and Adrian Smith.

🎖️ 8 May: VE Day

🎬 8 May: Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D (2026) – Documentary / Music, starring Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.

📊 14 May: GDP first quarterly estimate (Jan-Mar 2026) –The first snapshot of UK economic performance. Covers the total value of goods and services across the economy.

🎤 16 May: Eurovision Final – 1 in 4 plan to watch Eurovision, rising to 3 in 5 among 18–24s, held at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.
⚽ 16 May: FA Cup Final

🎬 16 May: Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass (2025) – Animation / Adventure / Comedy, starring Li Baixin, Mino Eek, Zhang Gang and Jiang Wen Jin.

🎾 18 May: French Open begins – held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The 2026 French Open will retain the use of human line judges, unlike the other Grand Slam tournaments, which have shifted to electronic line calling.

🌸 19 May: Chelsea Flower Show begins

💷 20 May: Consumer price inflation (April 2026) – Latest inflation figures, including CPI. Shows how prices are changing across everyday goods and service

🏦 25 May: Spring Bank Holiday – 43% of Brits spend more on bank holiday weekends than a normal weekend.

🎬 29 May: My Mother’s Wedding (2026) – Comedy / Drama, starring Scarlett Johansson.

If you’ve got something genuinely worth sharing, whether a sharp expert comment, a strong case study, or a data story with a clear angle, don’t let it sit in your drafts.

Send it to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll help get you get it in front of journalists who are actively looking for stories like yours.

Now, onto The Loop – your weekly scroll of journo requests, media moves, and PR moments worth knowing about.

 

🔥 MUST READ

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

Carly Martinetti, Co-Founder at Notably, shared a striking prediction from Gartner: PR and earned media budgets could double by 2027.

Her key takeaway?

“Earned media is what AI trusts.”

As more people turn to AI tools instead of traditional search, the sources those systems cite matter more than ever. Research shows over 95% of links used in AI answers come from non-paid sources, meaning credible editorial coverage is becoming even more valuable.

👉 Read Carly’s full LinkedIn post here

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • Reach tackles fake AI experts, with help from Synapse – Reach plc, publisher of The Mirror and Daily Express, is rolling out new measures to combat the rise of AI-generated “experts” appearing in media coverage. Alongside an internal AI verification tool called “The Detective” and a trusted PR contact directory, the publisher is also working with Synapse to help journalists verify experts earlier in the pitching process, strengthening trust between PRs, journalists and readers. listen to the episode
  • FOI requests: an underrated PR tool for exclusive stories – Steph Spyro explains why Freedom of Information requests can be a powerful way for comms pros to generate original, data-led stories. When crafted well, FOIs can uncover information not already in the public domain, giving journalists fresh, exclusive angles at a time when many newsrooms don’t have the resources to file the requests themselves. read more
  • PRmoment Podcast: Politics, Musk and PR ethics – This week’s PRmoment Podcast unpacks the comms fallout from Starmer’s Mandelson decision, Elon Musk’s renewed UK media engagement after Tesla’s Ofgem licence, and growing scrutiny on PR ethics and lobbying rules. The panel also explores why agencies must be increasingly careful about the clients they choose to represent. listen to the episode
  • Reach attacks BBC’s ‘aggressive expansion’ into local news – Reach has called for BBC reporting to link to external journalists’ work wherever possible. The comments were included in Reach’s response to the Green Paper on the renewal of the BBC’s Royal Charter. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

The Sun:

Reach plc:

The iPaper:

Newsquest:

Freelance:

IC Media:

LBC:

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 April.

🔍 1 Apr: Searches for ‘ISAs’ peak in the first week of the month.

🎬 1 Apr: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) – Animation / Adventure / Comedy, starring Chris Pratt

📊 2 Apr: Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators release date – Early experimental data and analysis on economic activity and social change in the UK, using rapid response surveys, novel data sources and experimental methods.

🎬 3 Apr: The Drama (2026) – Comedy / Drama / Romance, starring Zendaya, Robert Pattinson

💼 6 Apr: Tax Year Begins – Completing tax returns is the #4 financial concern for 18–34s (41%), according to MailMetroMedia.

🏇 9 Apr: Grand National – The 2026 Randox Grand National Festival is one of the UK’s most iconic sporting occasions, with three days of world-class racing from 9 – 11 April 2026, including official hospitality.

🐴 10 Apr: Aintree Ladies Day

🎡 10 Apr: Coachella begins, taking place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, with weekends on April 10-12 and April 17-19

🐾 11 Apr: National Pet Day – 7 in 10 agree that their pet helps with their mental health, according to DailyMail.

📈 16 Apr: GDP monthly estimate released

📊 22 Apr: Consumer price inflation report released

🏴 23 Apr: St George’s Day

👑 24 Apr: Prince Louis’ 8th Birthday

🏃‍♂️ 26 Apr: London Marathon – starting in Greenwich Park and finishing on The Mall at Buckingham Palace

🏃 26 Apr: London Marathon Events reported that an astonishing and world record-breaking 1,133,813 people from the UK and across the globe applied in the public ballot for an entry to the 2026 TCS London Marathon, which is a 36% increase from 2025.

🏆 30 Apr: Campaign Media Awards Ceremony