PR News: Built to save you time – Synapse Expert Database
Industry Trends & News, PR
Instead of pitching the same people on repeat, you list an expert once, and journalists can find them when they’re actively looking.
Where to add yours?
My Network → Manage my Experts → Add expert
What to include so journalists pick your expert?
- Specific keyword topics they can comment on
- 2-3 lines on why they’re credible
- A source link (LinkedIn) for quick verification
Now, welcome back to The Loop: your go-to for fresh journo requests, media bits, and the PR dates you don’t want to miss.
🔥 MUST READ
…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves
Elise Hopkins, Senior PR Data & Insights Lead at Flaunt Digital, shared some sharp advice off the back of The Independent reportedly taking over The Standard’s website. It’s more than a simple business update; it could reshape how stories get commissioned, formatted, and published.
Her key takeaway?
“Don’t wait for the dust to settle. Update your pitching approach now.”
Think:
- SEO-first angles
- Quotes and data ready to go
- Story formats that can be scaled or repackaged
👉 Read the full Linkedin post here
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we think you should see this week:
- AI in corporate comms: cautious curiosity, not blind adoption – In his latest piece, Stephen Waddington unpacks how organisations are approaching AI in 2026. The mood? Careful exploration over hype. For PR teams, it’s a reminder to focus on governance, experimentation, and clearly defined use cases. read more
- Future plans 45 editorial redundancies at titles including Techradar and Tom’s Guide – Future plc has proposed to make 45 editorial redundancies at its technology titles. Some 15 new roles are being created at the same time, making a net reduction in roles of 30. read more
- Podcast: What do PR employers want in 2026? – PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise episode dives into hiring trends, salary expectations, and how AI might reshape PR job roles. Featuring insights from PR recruitment specialists Rohan Shah and Christabel Hosking, plus predictions on which roles could disappear within five years. listen to the episode
- ChatGPT ads are coming: is your PR strategy ready? – Provoke Media explores how the introduction of ads into tools like ChatGPT will impact search, discovery, and brand visibility, and what PR pros should do to prepare for the emerging “GEO” era. read more
- Hopping on the trend: Was PR better in 2016? – PRmoment reflects on what’s changed over the past decade, from how coverage is measured to the rise of AI and whether the industry was more effective, creative, or respected back in 2016. read more
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Daily Express/Daily Mirror:
Reach plc:
- Looking for expert comments on extending free NHS prescriptions in England
- Looking for expert comments on HMRC late payment rate vs repayment rate
- Looking for expert comments from foodies or chefs to give their opinion. Writing an article on the best pasta brands to buy
- Looking for expert comments, opinions, tips on Premium Bonds holders going into the new year
- Cooking experts needed for opinions on what not to cook in an air fryer
- Looking for exclusive comment: Which fruits need to be stored in fridge
Triangle News:
- Looking for money case studies on finances, income, and savings
- Looking for case study stories on any topic but especially money, property and health
Newspage Media:
- Looking for expert comment/opinion on whether investors should consider beyond gold and silver
- Looking for views from investment and gold experts on whether they think gold will surpass $5000 in 2026 and silver $100
Newsquest:
- Sleep/health expert needed on why changing sleep habits can add on years to life expectancy
- Heating expert needed for article on the heat leaks that could be costing households hundreds every year
- Home/tech expert needed for the 7 items to never place near your WiFi router
- Cleaning expert needed for article on how air fryer liners are the best way to keep air fryers clean
- Cleaning expert needed for article on why bicarb of soda is great for cleaning carpets
- Dog expert needed for article on the correct thing to do when your dog misbehaves
- Cleaning expert needed for article on why over-scrubbing a bathroom should be avoided
- Chefs needed: How to make cabbage tastier
- Looking for UK-based experts who can share the seeds that will need to be planted now in time for spring flowers
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
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There are over 3000 amazing people on Synapse; all of whom want to revolutionise the media relations industry. Our PR user base is from across the UK and covers a mix of agency, freelance and in-house professionals. Our journalist user base is similarly broad. There are national publications, trades, regionals and freelancers all using the platform.
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We’d love to. But we’re not quite there yet.
Synapse believes that journalists have the right to their own data, and that by giving journalists control over their data, PRs will receive more accurate and timely information that isn’t currently available on any other database.
This means that we need to work with journalists to register them on the platform, rather than adding every UK journalist without permission. This is something our team is working on every single day.
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We launched on 21st September 2023 with over 1800 users already pre-registered. Since then we’ve grown to over 3000 users, onboarded national publications and have more news to come. Watch this space!
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