Media trends: How to get press coverage in October

Wondering what the media are covering as we ‘fall’ into October? The change of season and weather is often a popular angle for journalists and requests sent to PRs via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service this month backs that up.

Read on to find out what else journalists were asking for in September, and what you can do to catch their attention, and gain press coverage, in October.

Halloween on the horizon

Journalists have been getting their Halloween content sorted early – just over 2% of the total enquiries in September were around ‘Halloween’.

PA Media, The i paper, Bella, and Stylist.co.uk have all sent requests to PRs via the Journalist Enquiry Service, looking for a variety of things, from Halloween snacks to home decor, costumes, and spooktacular themed days out for families.

Going forward? With Halloween at the end of the month, journalists will likely be making short deadline requests to get information and products. Be prepared to have product samples to send over with easy-to-read information, and you could get featured in a national press title or consumer magazine.

Gift guides and advent calendars in high demand

Requests for Christmas content have been coming in since July, and September saw a significant increase with ‘Christmas’ appearing in just under 14% of all enquiries. This is over double the amount we saw in August and a 3% rise on this time last year.

A lot of the festive requests are for ‘gift guides’, with that phrase cropping up in nearly 9% of enquiries last month. ‘Advent calendars’ are also popular, with 3.5% of journalists looking to review them. It also meant big increases for the consumer-focused categories on the Enquiry Service with Children & Teenagers seeing a 44% increase between August and September, 39% for Men’s Interest, 31% for Food & Drink, and 21% for Women’s Interest & Beauty.

Going forward? October is usually the most popular month for ‘Christmas’ content on the Journalist Enquiry Service. Last year, 18% of enquiries were for festive material. The majority of journalists will be looking for gift guide products and advent calendars, as well as Christmas events, decorations, and recipes. You could get media coverage in The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, The Independent, or The Sun.

Autumnal advice, mental health experts, and fashion in focus

Seasonal content is frequently requested on the Journalist Enquiry Service and the change of season has seen nearly 4% of journalists in September including the keyword ‘Autumn’. The topics have varied from interiors to wellbeing, to staycations, and beauty products for the new season.

Fashion has also featured in the Autumn requests and on its own as a keyword appeared in just under 4% of the requests. This is possibly linked to the London Fashion Week taking place. 2% of enquiries in October were also for ‘mental health’, with journalists looking to get expert opinion and advice ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

Going forward? Now that we are firmly into Autumn, journalists often send requests about heating and how to stay warm in colder months, plus skincare advice, and what to do with your garden during this season. Have expert commentary ready and there is the potential to feature in The Metro, The Times, Ideal Home, and The Daily Telegraph – journalists from all of these outlets sent requests last month about ‘Autumn’.

Other opportunities for PRs in October and beyond

While both still a little way off, Bonfire night (5 November) and Black Friday (29 November) are approaching. Journalists will be looking for the best places to watch fireworks and any related events, plus the best deals and offers on at different retailers for Black Friday.

The Health category, which had an 8% increase between August and September, could rise further as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and includes World Menopause Day (18 October). Experts in these fields could get media coverage as a result. Food & Drink should also perform well again as a category with International Chefs Day (20 October) and World Pasta Day (25 October). Have chefs ready to interview, and pasta recipes to share.

To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.

Find out more about how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.