If you’ve got a strong expert comment, a case study, or a data story with a clear angle, send it to pitches@synapse.media, and we’ll get it in front of the right journalists who are actively looking.
Now, onto The Loop, your weekly scroll of journo requests, PR tips and news you don’t want to skip on.
🔥 MUST READ
…because we want you to hear it from the experts themselves
Olivia Edmondson, Founder of Auctus PR, breaks down three fast ways PRs damage journalist relationships, and they all come down to one thing: making the journalist’s job harder.
Her key takeaway?
“If you create friction, you lose trust”
Whether it’s poor research, unreliable experts, or overdoing follow-ups, each one signals the same thing: you’re not making this easy for me. And in an inbox of hundreds of emails a day, that’s enough to get ignored. The PRs who win? The ones who are easy to work with.
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we think you should see this week:
- The reputation economy is real, PR just needs to prove its role – Burson’s The Global Reputation Economy report, released in January, and Echo Research’s UK Reputation Valuation Report 2026 show that reputation drives real financial value, up to 28% of FTSE 350 market value, but PR still struggles to clearly prove its contribution. The gap? Linking communications activity directly to business outcomes. read more
- Publishers warn reduced FOI cost limit would put public-interest information ‘beyond scrutiny’ – UK news publishers have warned the Government against “extremely concerning” proposals to reduce the cost ceiling for processing Freedom of Information requests. read more
- Beyond The Noise: City A.M. editor-in-chief on what PRs are getting wrong – In this PRWeek podcast, Christian May shares what actually lands at City A.M., and what doesn’t. From the rise of legal pressure on media to fake AI experts and worsening press releases, the message is clear: relevance, credibility and understanding the outlet matter more than ever. listen to the episode
- AI search is surfacing your past, not your latest work – A recent piece highlights the risk of AI search directing users to outdated or less relevant providers, and Cheryl Crossley’s take sums it up perfectly: AI reflects the weight of everything ever written about a brand, not just what’s current. read more
- AI is reshaping journalism, and some are already all in – The Wall Street Journal explores how AI is set to disrupt media, with some journalists already fully integrating it into their workflows. As AI tools speed up production and reshape how content is created, the shift raises big questions around quality, trust and what journalism looks like next, all of which directly impact how PRs pitch and place stories. read more
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Reach plc:
- Looking for expert opinion on the state pension and wider future trends
- Looking for expert comments on what could replace the triple lock
- Looking for expert comments on foods you should only buy frozen
- Looking for expert comments on WASPI – do they still have a chance?
- Looking for experts to speak to what preparation for war would look like in the UK – Different Titles
Newsquest:
- 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?
- Gardening expert needed for article on what to do if you’ve over-pruned a hydrangea
- Gardening expert needed for article on the best shrubs and perennials for people who hate pruning
- European countries at risk at the moment due to war – Which European countries are at risk at the moment due to war
LBC:
Mail on Sunday:
- Looking to speak to someone with a creative side hustle, something unusual they do outside their main job to earn extra money.
- Interview opp for daily mail socials – Fun side hustles – CREATIVE SIDE HUSTLE
- Looking to talk to someone who lives in a micro flat (a really really small flat) for a video with the Daily Mail
- Looking to speak to a young person who lives with an older person in London in exchange for reduced or free rent
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
🏦 5 April: Tax Year ends – Make the most of your ISA and pension allowances
💼 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
🍿 17 Apr: Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (Warner Bros), The Exit 8, Glenrothan (Lionsgate), Diamanti (Vue Lumiere) movie rele
📊 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
