PR News: Are you stuck in a cycle of pitches that go nowhere?

Hey there,

Are you stuck in a cycle of pitches that go nowhere?

Send them to us instead: pitches@synapse.media. We’ll get your story in our marketplace and in front of journalists who are actively looking. No more chasing but stories that actually get covered.

Now, welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of live journo requests, sharp PR tips, and media hooks worth jumping on.

Here’s what’s landing this week:

🔥 MUST READ

…advice we’ve spotted from the experts

“Never chase a journalist the same morning unless your story is urgent. If it is, trust me – I’ll see it.”

Journalist Almara Abgarian advises PRs to respect editors’ morning routines – only follow up within hours if your pitch genuinely demands immediate attention.

👉 Read the full LinkedIn post

🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS

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

• Insider Media: Looking for senior HR, reward or benefits leaders for roundtable event – will be featured in Sept edition with 1m+ monthly views, looking for all dealmaking-related announcements from B2B press teams in the West Midlands area – legal, accountancy, and corporate finance advisers, and seeking dealmaking news from Dorset-based professional services – legal, accountancy, and corporate finance firms.
• Metro: Looking to hear from couples who bought a house together about their deposit.
• Express: Looking for exclusive new UK showbiz and celeb stories/interviews/screenings/events.
• LADbible: Looking to speak with a health expert who can comment on the health implications of unregulated, illegal vape use, looking for a mental health expert for a comment on dealing with panic attacks and looking for urgent doctor commentary on the reality of what rubber bullets can actually do to your body.
• The Sun: Looking for some travel opportunities/news/case studies, whether it be trying a new immersive event or similar and looking for a money expert to talk about Bulgaria joining the Eurozone and the impact this could have on Brits going on holiday.
• Newsquest: Looking for expert comments on whether you can legally buy part of your neighbour’s land.
• Daily Mirror / Express / Reach titles: Looking for real-life true crime stories.
• The i Paper: Looking to speak to someone who has withdrawn their full pension amount in the last year and has had to pay a large tax on it, looking for someone who either regrets not investing their money so they have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, looking to speak to someone who started investing their money specifically so they could leave more of an inheritance
• The i Paper: Looking to speak to someone who has moved away from the UK for financial reasons and doesn’t regret it, and looking to speak to someone who wouldn’t put their money in stocks and shares over a cash ISA and looking for expert comments/case study of someone in one of the vulnerable groups that have lost out on the winter fuel payment u-turn for
• The i Paper: Looking to speak to someone who keeps physical cash at home, hidden away safely, for emergencies, and 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:

• Only half of Gen Z believe PR needs humans – According to USC Annenberg’s 2025 Global Communication Report, just 52% of Gen Z think human roles will remain essential in PR, underscoring AI’s rise and the challenge for PR pros to prove their unique value. read more
• Half of comms staff feel guilty logging off – Oak Engage study finds that nearly 50% of communications professionals say they feel guilty when they switch off, highlighting burnout risks and the need for clearer work-life boundaries. read more
• NHS appoints comms lead for £10bn digital transformation – A dedicated communications lead will steer stakeholder engagement on the NHS’s £10bn tech overhaul, proof that clear messaging is crucial for major public-sector projects. read more
• PR is quietly powering generative search – PR pros are crafting the narratives and structured content that AI search engines use to generate answers, ensuring brands stay top of mind in the AI-dominated future. read more
• Ad revenues are back on the up – According to the latest edition of WPP Media’s bi-annual media report, global ad spend is forecast to grow by 6% this year as media recalibrate their strategies and PR teams should lean into integrated campaigns and secure prime opportunities. read more
• Sussex PR team sees senior departures – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s independent communications outfit has lost several senior staff, highlighting the challenge of maintaining a consistent PR strategy outside the royal machine. read more
  

📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS

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

• 1 July: PMI manufacturing announcement –  start prepping commentary beforehand (30 June), so that you have quotes ready to go when data drops.
• 2 July: ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ release date
• 2 July: UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 kicks off.
• 5 July: Tour de France begins – Cycling content picks up with nearly 500k monthly browsers following it, according to Mail Metro Media.
• 6 July: British Grand Prix (Silverstone) – In 2021, an average of 1.59 million UK viewers watched Formula 1 races live on Sky, according to Motorsport Broadcasting.
• 7 July: Second week of Wimbledon begins
• 10 July: The Open Golf Championship begins
• 10 July: Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators are being relesead – including consumer behaviour, business and workforce, energy, housing and transport.
• 11 July: ‘Superman’ release date
• 12 July: Wimbledon Finals Weekend – Prime PR moment for FMCG, luxury, and fashion brands.
• 15 July: Captain America: ‘Brave New World’ release date
• 17 July: World Emoji Day – the 🫠(melting face) was the most used across the web in 2024.
• 18 July: School summer holidays begin (for not all, but most of the UK)
• 22 – 23 July: UEFA Women’s Euro Semi-Finals – The 2022 finals boasted the highest attendance figures for a Women’s EURO, smashing the 240,055 mark set at the 2017 finals.
• 25 July: ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ release date
• 27 July: UEFA Women’s Euro Finals
• 28 July: Union Flag Day
• 31 July: Shell & Unilever Q2 results
  

✨ BEFORE YOU GO

Got something brilliant but in a rush?

Send it over to pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.