If you’ve got a strong angle, expert comment, case study or data-led story, send it to pitches@synapse.media, and we’ll help get it posted on Synapse, so the right journalists can find it while you enjoy your holiday.
Now, welcome back to The Loop – live journo requests, sharp PR tips and the news worth knowing this week.
🔥 MUST READ
…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves
Becca Peel, Head of Digital PR at Tank, shared a reminder that every PR should have in their back pocket:
“If you can read something on Google, it shouldn’t be in the newspaper.”
The takeaway? With AI causing traffic drops overnight for almost every brand, Digital PR needs to focus on compelling stories and campaigns that use original data, expert insight and real-world case studies to say something new.
👉 Read Becca’s full LinkedIn post here
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we think you should see this week:
- The integration of artificial intelligence technologies into PR teams – PRmoment’s latest podcast looks at how AI is moving beyond basic prompts and into PR team structures, workflows and talent planning. Ben Smith and Will Hart discuss the risks around IP, deepfakes and reputation, plus why human judgment still matters as agencies automate more of their work. read more
- 8 Tips for getting journalists to back your campaign – Off The Record’s Steph Spyro shares what PRs can learn from the paper’s successful campaign to improve conditions for penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium. She explains how one cold email from an animal welfare charity led to more than 50 stories, global coverage and a major commitment from Merlin Entertainments. read more
- Starbucks puts UK PR account out to pitch – Starbucks has reportedly put its UK consumer PR account out to pitch after an 18-year partnership with Edelman. The move comes as the coffee chain plans a new UK licensee model and around 500 more stores over the next five years. read more
- UK regulator tells Google to let publishers opt out of AI Overviews – The CMA has told Google to give publishers more control over how their content appears in AI-generated search results. Google says it will start testing new Search Console controls and reporting, but some publishers argue the changes still don’t go far enough. read more
- City AM’s Christian May, Alys Denby and Steve Dinneen urge PR to turn its back on ‘AI slop’ – The City AM team discusses the rise of AI-generated opinion pieces, comments and article submissions being sent to journalists as if they came from real experts. They explain why PR teams need to protect trust, keep pitches human and stop sending low-value AI content. watch the episode
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Reach plc:
- Looking for drone expert for quick turnaround comment for national media article
- Seeking relationship experts for quick turnaround Daily Mirror feature
- Looking to speak with criminal psychologists!
- Looking for crime expert for comment on Daily Mirror feature
- Looking for climate expert for the Daily Mirror article
- Best ways to keep your dog cool in a heatwave
- Looking for couples forced to live together amid cost of living crisis
- Looking for Huyton residents to discuss youth unemployment and local job prospects – Daily Mirror
- Seeking wardrobe hire companies and milliners for Royal Ascot best-dressed challenge – Daily Star
Metro:
- Seeking traditional-style hotels in Bamberg, Regensburg and Passau for Metro travel feature
- Looking for Cyprus tour guides and boat operators for Metro feature
The Sunday Post:
MailOnline:
- Looking for an expert who can help advise tourists and highlight the risks of exploring dangerous swimming/underwater cave systems – Daily Mail Online
- Seeking expert to explain why UK train Wi-Fi lags behind in-flight connectivity – Daily Mail
Newsweek:
Euronewsweek:
National World:
- Seeking lawnmowers for review for NationalWorld feature – National World
- Looking for all things of my favourite colour, particularly focusing on fashion, beauty and lifestyle products! – NationalWorld
Freelance:
- Seeking football fans from Qatar and Saudi Arabia for World Cup feature – GQ
- Seeking football fans from Belgium, Algeria, Argentina and Ecuador for World Cup feature – GQ
- Looking for GP to discuss nervous system regulation for Fit&Well feature – Fit&Well
- Looking for UK retirees who have chosen to rent in later life for feature insight
- Looking for homeowner overpaying mortgage – The Sun
- Seeking umbrella samples for IndyBest roundup – Indybest
- Looking for career coaches on job “hunkering down” – The i Paper
- Looking for PRs that can help finding football fans from the following WC countries: Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Curacao …!!! – GQ
- Seeking expert views on best colours for outdoor kitchens – Livingetc
- Seeking GP or surgeon insights on gallstones
- Looking for people feeling left behind by friends or family using weight loss jabs
- Seeking tourism experts and British expats to discuss falling visitor numbers in the Canary Islands – ReachPLC
- Looking for home experts to recommend gadgets/hacks for dealing with temporary heat spikes, for the i newspaper. – The i Newspaper
- Looking for a chatty hairdresser to talk Rivals inspired haircuts, for a piece on BBC 5 Live. – BBC 5 Live
- Seeking expat women with return-to-UK regret stories and related survey data
- Seeking property litigation solicitor on surface drainage laws
- Medical experts needed to comment on Donald Trump health check coverage – Daily Express
- Seeking interior designers to share common en-suite bathroom design mistakes – Livingetc
- Looking for family-friendly places to visit on the Isle of Wight
- Looking for women earning more than partner to discuss emotional side of money – Stylist
- ASAP – looking for a registered sports dietician to comment on a Fit&Well article around nutrition / running
Or head to the marketplace now to look at the full list of requests yourself.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…because we don’t want you missing out on stuff in July.
📊 2 Jul: Business insights and impact on the UK economy – Covers the impact of economic challenges and other events on UK businesses, including performance, workforce, trade and resilience.
🏎️ 3 Jul: British Grand Prix begins – The 2026 Formula 1 British Grand Prix takes place at Silverstone Circuit.
📚 3 Jul: Bradford Literature Festival – This buzzing book festival brings big literary names to West Yorkshire, with panels, readings, lectures and more.
🚴 4 Jul: Tour de France begins – it’s the 113th edition of the Tour de France, taking place until the 26th July 2026, starting in Barcelona.
📊 7 Jul: Financial Stability Report – Published by the Bank of England, setting out its view on UK financial system stability and key risks.
🏰 9 Jul: Buckingham Palace Summer Opening
🎬 10 Jul: Moana (2026) – Action / Adventure / Comedy, starring Catherine Laga’aia, Dwayne Johnson, John Tui and Frankie Adams.
🎾 11 Jul: Wimbledon Women’s Singles Final – Provisionally scheduled at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.
🎾 12 Jul: Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final – The 2026 Wimbledon Championships run from 29 June to 12 July, with video reviews introduced for the first time.
⚽ 14 Jul: First FIFA World Cup Semi-Final
⚽ 15 Jul: Second FIFA World Cup Semi-Final
😀 16 Jul: World Emoji Day – “Face with bags under its eyes” was recognised as the emoji of the year in 2025.
📈 16 Jul: GDP monthly estimate, UK (May 2026) – GDP measures the value of goods and services produced in the UK.
⛳ 16 Jul: The Open Championship 2026 begins – officially the 154th Open Championship, is a golf tournament to be played from 16-19 July 2026 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. It will be the 11th Open held at the club.
🎂 17 Jul: Queen Camilla’s Birthday
🎬 17 Jul: The Odyssey (2026) – Adventure / Fantasy, starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson.
🏆 19 Jul: FIFA World Cup Final – The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
🏖️ 21 Jul: Schools break up for the summer
📊 21 Jul: UK Labour Market: July 2026 – Covers employment, unemployment, inactivity, earnings, vacancies and labour market stats.
📊 22 Jul: Consumer price inflation, UK (June 2026) – Covers price index changes and weights across inflation measures.
🏅 23 Jul: Commonwealth Games begin
⛳ 29 Jul: Women’s Open – Held at Royal Lytham & St Annes, with some of golf’s biggest names competing.
📊 29 Jul: Effective interest rates (June 2026) – Covers average interest rates across UK deposit and loan accounts.
🎬 31 Jul: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) – Action / Adventure / Fantasy, starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink and Jacob Batalon.
Working on something great or out of office?
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.
