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.

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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

That means one thing – First Pitch Club is open! If you’ve never posted on Synapse before, this is your sign to do so. 

Publish your first ever pitch this week and we’ll kit you out with some goodies (oh, and a shoutout!). The Agency Leaderboard is ticking up nicely. We’re counting every pitch and will announce the first table soon.

Plus we’re taking Pitch Fever live in BrightonSEO on October 23/24. Swing by the bar, bring a colleague, post a pitch on the spot, and say hi.

Right, now welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of fresh PR tips, news and dates…

🔥 MUST READ

…advice we’ve spotted from the experts

Former journalist, digital PR specialist and copywriter Becca T. shared a smart reminder that no single tool catches every piece of client coverage, meaning a few quick extra searches can make all the difference.

“Don’t forget to check other search engines for client coverage. Annoyingly, there isn’t one website or tool that picks up ALL results. So you have to use a few.”

👉 Read Becca’s full post on LinkedIn

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • Reach Q3 results: Revenue down, cost cuts ahead – Reach plc has reported another quarterly revenue dip, with print advertising and circulation still falling faster than digital growth can offset. The publisher says further cost-cutting measures are on the way as it works to stabilise operations. read more
  • Podcast: Addressing antisemitism in communications – This week’s PRWeek Podcast takes on a vital question: how can PR lead with empathy when tackling issues like antisemitism? Industry voices discuss where comms professionals can do better, and why silence isn’t an option. listen to the episode
  • The Media Show Podcast: Inside Putin’s Russia – BBC’s The Media Show takes listeners inside the realities of reporting from Moscow with Steve Rosenberg, one of the few Western journalists still based there. Plus, The Economist’s Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes discusses the outlet’s move into video, and PR expert Farzana Baduel unpacks the strategy behind “authorised access” celebrity documentaries. listen to the episode
  • Express rapped by IPSO over Inaccurate headlines – IPSO has ruled against the Daily Express six times in just three months for misleading or inaccurate headlines, which is a sharp reminder of how high the accuracy bar remains for UK publishers under scrutiny. read more
  • UK to regulate Google’s AI search features – Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Discover products are set to come under UK regulatory oversight, marking a major step in how AI-driven news and search results will be governed. read more
  • The Cost of Ignoring Misinformation – In this Guardian opinion piece, journalist Peter Beaumont argues that global leaders dismissed early UN efforts to tackle large-scale misinformation, and the consequences are now impossible to ignore. read more
  • Major regional publisher withdraws all titles from ABC – One of the UK’s leading regional publishers has withdrawn all its titles from ABC.The move by National World means all of its 200-plus local and regional titles are no longer registered with the print circulation auditor. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Reach plc:

Express:

Daily Express/Daily Mirror:

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

🎖️ 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

🛒 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.

🖤 28th: Black Friday

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

We are still celebrating PRs who make the magic happen on Synapse!

Already pitching? Good. Because this week, we’re adding three new ways to win:

  • Trending Pitcher: post in this week’s hottest category.
  • Colleague Recruiter: bring two PR pals who publish their first pitches.
  • Random Pitch Prize: every pitch counts as a raffle ticket.

The Agency Leaderboard* and First Pitch Club are still live, and yes, there are prizes and shoutouts!

*first board dropping on Friday!

Right, now welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of fresh PR tips, news and dates…

🔥 MUST READ

…advice we’ve spotted from the experts

Strategy Director and The Drum’s PR Leader of the Year, Amy Gibson, shared a reality check wit for anyone wondering why results have slowed and your digital PR strategy isn’t landing like it used to. Her message? The game has changed, and your strategy should too.

“10 reasons why your digital PR strategy isn’t working: You are executing the same digital PR strategy you were 2 years ago.”

👉 Read Amy’s full post on LinkedIn

🗞️ PR-Y STUFF

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

  • AI tool floods UK newsrooms with automated pitches – Press Gazette reports that a new automated PR tool is overwhelming journalists with AI-generated emails, with many of them poorly written, irrelevant, or even nonsensical. Reporters say it’s making inboxes harder to manage and putting more pressure on genuine PR efforts that rely on human relationships and tailored storytelling. read more
  • Young Britons still trust social media for news, despite misinformation fears – New Ipsos research finds that while 16-34-year-olds in the UK are aware of misinformation risks, they still trust and rely heavily on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram as they are now key entry points for news. read more
  • PRWeek Pay Gaps Report: Progress, but work still to do – PRWeek’s biggest-ever Pay Gaps Report reveals signs of progress with gender and ethnicity pay gaps in PR narrowing slightly year on year. But despite improvement, transparency remains patchy, and many agencies still aren’t publishing their figures. read more
  • How AI is rewriting the PR brief – AI is reshaping how PR teams prepare, structure and deliver client briefings, from faster insights to more predictive storytelling. But as PR News points out, the key isn’t automation alone, but knowing how to ask the right questions. read more
  • 50 biggest UK news websites in August – Press Gazette’s monthly ranking shows Daily Star saw the strongest boost among the UK’s 50 biggest news websites in August, according to the latest data from Ipsos iris. read more
  • Why you should pitch now for Christmas – Freelance journalist Rosie Taylor says the Christmas pitching window is already open, because waiting until November is too late. National media are planning festive features now, so if you’ve got seasonal data, expert commentary or real-life case studies, get them out there this week. read more

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

Reach plc:

Express:

The Sun:

Daily Express/Daily Mirror:

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

🎖️ 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

🛒 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.

🖤 28th: Black Friday

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

*(in case you still want to see October key dates, check out our last newsletter or visit our website.)

Have a story that’s ready to go?

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.

Questions about Slack Notifications?

Send us a message at support@synapse.media. We are always happy to help!