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:
- Looking to speak to someone who has lost a significant amount of weight via any method and following it has had a promotion, pay rise or been treated better at work
- Looking to speak to someone who left a well-paying office job to learn a trade – and is now earning as much/similar or more in the blue-collar job
- Looking to speak to someone who struggled to get an NHS dentist
Reach plc:
- Looking for expert comments on support for people on disability benefits
- Looking for expert comment/opinion on WASPI decision and improving financial awareness
- Looking for expert comments on triple lock for next year
- Looking for expert comments on how to stay warm / what to do if you are feeling the cold
- Looking for expert comments on how to care for house plants going into the spring
- Why cucumber is wrapped in plastic in the supermarket? Expert commentary needed
- Looking for experts to speak to what preparation for war would look like in the UK – Different Titles
- Looking for expert comments on meningitis
- Looking to speak to travel expert about Brits turning their backs on holidays Turkey/ Egypt/ Cyprus/ Dubai over Iran – Reach PLC
The iPaper:
- Looking to speak to financial advisers about annuities
- Looking to speak to an inheritance tax expert on how to avoid leaving children with large tax bills
Newsquest:
- Looking for expert comment regarding Windows 10 ending its security for users in October this year.
- Looking for additional comment from UK experts – things like how to get rid of asbestos, why it was used in the first place, can it devalue homes if found?
- Looking for an expert opinion on whether hay fever sufferers should start to worry now that there are rising temperatures. Is the pollen count rising too?
- Looking for shopping experts for a feature on supermarket secret codes that tell you when discounts run until
- Looking for expert comments on whether hayfever sufferers should start to worry now temperatures are rising?
- Royal Family/news expert needed for commentary on King Charles III stripping people of MBEs/OBEs
Freelance:
- Looking for interior designer/stylists to provide comments on OUTDOOR Easter decorating ideas for an online piece – Chelsea Magazines
- Looking for an expert within the field of AI to talk about the benefits AI can bring to SMEs
- Looking to speak with defence start-ups to get their views on what impact the UK Government’s response to the Fingleton review may have on them
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
