That means one thing – First Pitch Club is open! If you’ve never posted on Synapse before, this is your sign to do so.
Publish your first ever pitch this week and we’ll kit you out with some goodies (oh, and a shoutout!). The Agency Leaderboard is ticking up nicely. We’re counting every pitch and will announce the first table soon.
Plus we’re taking Pitch Fever live in BrightonSEO on October 23/24. Swing by the bar, bring a colleague, post a pitch on the spot, and say hi.
Right, now welcome back to The Loop – your weekly scroll of fresh PR tips, news and dates…
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
Former journalist, digital PR specialist and copywriter Becca T. shared a smart reminder that no single tool catches every piece of client coverage, meaning a few quick extra searches can make all the difference.
“Don’t forget to check other search engines for client coverage. Annoyingly, there isn’t one website or tool that picks up ALL results. So you have to use a few.”
👉 Read Becca’s full post on LinkedIn
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we think you should see this week:
- Reach Q3 results: Revenue down, cost cuts ahead – Reach plc has reported another quarterly revenue dip, with print advertising and circulation still falling faster than digital growth can offset. The publisher says further cost-cutting measures are on the way as it works to stabilise operations. read more
- Podcast: Addressing antisemitism in communications – This week’s PRWeek Podcast takes on a vital question: how can PR lead with empathy when tackling issues like antisemitism? Industry voices discuss where comms professionals can do better, and why silence isn’t an option. listen to the episode
- The Media Show Podcast: Inside Putin’s Russia – BBC’s The Media Show takes listeners inside the realities of reporting from Moscow with Steve Rosenberg, one of the few Western journalists still based there. Plus, The Economist’s Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes discusses the outlet’s move into video, and PR expert Farzana Baduel unpacks the strategy behind “authorised access” celebrity documentaries. listen to the episode
- Express rapped by IPSO over Inaccurate headlines – IPSO has ruled against the Daily Express six times in just three months for misleading or inaccurate headlines, which is a sharp reminder of how high the accuracy bar remains for UK publishers under scrutiny. read more
- UK to regulate Google’s AI search features – Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Discover products are set to come under UK regulatory oversight, marking a major step in how AI-driven news and search results will be governed. read more
- The Cost of Ignoring Misinformation – In this Guardian opinion piece, journalist Peter Beaumont argues that global leaders dismissed early UN efforts to tackle large-scale misinformation, and the consequences are now impossible to ignore. read more
- Major regional publisher withdraws all titles from ABC – One of the UK’s leading regional publishers has withdrawn all its titles from ABC.The move by National World means all of its 200-plus local and regional titles are no longer registered with the print circulation auditor. read more
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
Here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
Reach plc:
- Looking for an affiliate story on where celebrities live
- Looking for a listicle from a health expert on top 5 sex positions for over 60s
- Looking for the prettiest Christmas Markets to visit in the UK
- Looking for the ten best Christmas markets to explore in Europe
- Looking to do a feature on the top 5 cruises launching over the next 12 months
Express:
Daily Express/Daily Mirror:
- Looking to speak to at least four doctors about Donald Trump’s health and concerns related to it for the future
- Looking for quotes ASAP following Russia’s aerial incursion into Poland
Newsquest:
- Looking for expert comments on a road marking that most drivers don’t know the meaning of
- Looking for expert commentary on the belief that your house number affects the value of your property when selling
- Looking for expert commentary on UK households urged to place one item above radiators to cut energy bills over winter.
- Seeking expert advice on why it’s advisable to always travel with two forms of photo ID
- Looking for expert comment on the dangers of ficus trees to homes and property
- Looking for an expert comment on whether lavender keeps rats away
Real Homes/Future:
- Looking for designers to explain how to style throw pillows, with top tips on choosing size, patterns, quantity, fluffing up, etc.
- Looking for home and heating experts to explain the common heating mistakes households make
- Looking for designers to explain the valuable everyday pieces in grandparents’ kitchens that might be worth a lot
Freelance:
- Looking for a case study/expert comment on why slowing down speeds up happiness
- Looking to speak to UK autism experts about the Trump autism/paracetamol row
- Looking for case studies/comments on the rise of intentional living – why slowing down can accelerate your happiness
MailOnline:
Or head to the marketplace now to look our requests yourself.
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…because we don’t want you missing out on stuff in November .
🛍️ 3rd: 1 in 4 Brits start Christmas shopping early – according to Google Trends, Christmas shopping ideas peak.
🎆 4th: Bonfire Night – 27% of Brits attend a fireworks display, worth £248m to retailers, according to MailMetro.
💷 6th: Bank Rate Announcement – Monetary Policy Committee meets again
📈 7th: Google Trends shows spikes in “gift guides” from this week onward
🎖️ 8th: Searches for ‘Christmas adverts’ peak
🎄 9th: ‘The Christmas Chronicles’ searches peak in the UK, according to Google Trends
❄️ 14th: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland – London’s attraction opens doors for visitors
👑 14th: King Charles’ 77th birthday
🎬 14th: ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’ – UK release date, starring Dave Franco
💳 20th: Searches for ‘Black Friday deals’ begin to rise.
🧙♀️ 21st: ‘Wicked: For Good’ – UK release date
🛒 22nd: 71% of last year’s Black Friday shoppers pre-planned purchases, according to MailMetroMedia.
📊 26th: UK Autumn Budget announced – overview of the UK government’s plans for taxation, public spending, and the economy.
🖤 28th: Black Friday
🦊 28th: ‘Zootopia 2’ – UK release date
