Hey there,
Welcome to the revamped Synapse newsletter, The Loop – the new home for the latest journo requests on Synapse, media relations advice from the experts, upcoming story hooks, and the stuff everyone’s reading (or about to be).
And remember, if you’re too busy reading this to get your pitch up, send it to us at pitches@synapse.media instead and we’ll automatically put it into our marketplace for you.
🔥 MUST READ
…advice we’ve spotted from the experts
“Taking on an exclusive isn’t just another thing on a journalist’s to-do list if you’re a freelancer – it’s our livelihood.” Journalist Rosie Taylor explains the benefits of pitching to freelancers, and shares some top advice.
🔎 JOURNO REQUESTS
here’s what journalists are currently looking for on Synapse:
- LADbible: Looking for a lip reader expert to comment on reactive Met Gala coverage.
- Reach: Looking for military stories on tech development, new kit, and global politics.
- Newsquest: Seeking expert comments on whether plant fertiliser is toxic to dogs.
- National Newspaper: Seeking strong health stories for UK nationals via Jam Press.
- Metro UK: Looking for Harry Potter-adjacent experts to talk about the HBO reboot and nostalgia.
- Echowave Magazine: Looking for London events for May and spring products for a seasonal round-up.
- Tyla: Looking for a meteorologist or climate scientist to speak with.
- Newsquest: Seeking comment on hoarding cleanup costs , Is plant fertilizer toxic to dogs? and how hay fever may heighten anxiety.
- Daily Mirror / Express / Reach titles: Looking for real-life true crime stories.
- The Independent: Looking to speak to someone who has been a victim of fraud
- The i Paper: Looking for someone who took out a mortgage over age 50, ideally 60+.
Or head to the marketplace now to take a look for yourself.
🗞️ PR-Y STUFF
Here’s what we’ve read this week so that you don’t have to:
- Tortoise relaunches The Observer – with a promise to lean into traditions of liberalism and editorial independence. read more
- Reach announces journalism award winners– so if you’re speaking to any of these people this week, remember to say congrats! read more
- UK authors to get paid – a new collective licence announced that covers AI training use. read more
- Newsquest titles dominate user engagement with news sites – the latest March figures show Manchester Evening News also boasted a rise in engagement. read more
📆 NEXT MONTH’S HOOKS
…just because we don’t want you missing out on stuff.
- 6 May: Met Gala – A PR goldmine for fashion, culture, and chaos. In 2024, Vogue saw 74 million views on their Met content.
- 8 May: Bank of England interest rate decision
- 8 May: Halifax House Price Index – Monthly barometer on the UK housing market.
- 13 May: Cannes Film Festival opens
- 17 May: FA Cup Final (Men’s) – Over 8M people watched last year’s final, meaning media will be trying to produce A LOT of content
- 17 May: Eurovision Song Contest
- 18 May: FA Cup Final (Women’s) – BBC One reached a peak of 1.4 million viewers in 2024
- 21 May: Chelsea Flower Show – A press favourite for lifestyle, gardening, and royals.
- 25 May: French Open begins – The MailOnline wrote 257 articles on tennis in Q2 2024 alone.
- 25 May: Monaco Grand Prix -2022 race has reached over 2.2M viewers on SkySports.
✨ BEFORE YOU GO
Got a story, expert, or press release but short on time?
Send it over to us at pitches@synapse.media and we’ll get it in our marketplace for you.
