It’s been a jam-packed summer, with the General Election and the Olympics taking up a lot of the media’s attention – so what comes next? If you need help with September’s news and features, here is some extra help from the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service team.

What to cover right now?

The majority of UK schools will return next week, and University students will be returning, or starting their studies, in late September. This means there is still time to write articles with advice on what last-minute items parents and students need to secure for school and higher learning.

The other big event on the calendar now is the Paralympics, taking place until 8 September. We have already compiled a list of sporting experts, including two former Paralympians, that are available to provide comment for related news and features – case studies on playing sport with a disability could make great feature articles to tie in with the Games.

September is filled with awareness days and weeks concerning the environment, with the first being Zero Waste Week. Writing about the best ways to reduce waste? Grab some expert comment to help highlight the initiative, which begins on 2 September. There is also FairTrade Fortnight (9 – 22 September) and World Car Free Day (22 September) as other options to write about from an environmental angle.

What’s coming up?

Politics will stay high on the agenda in September, with annual party conference season on the way. Of the big three, the Liberal Democrats will hold their conference first from 14-17 September in Brighton, followed by Labour from 22-25 September in Liverpool, and the Conservatives, who will be in Birmingham from 29 September – 2 October. Want overviews of the key announcements from the conferences delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up to our sister brand Vuelio’s daily Party Conference Bulletin. 

For something lighter, Autumn fashion weeks are ahead, where designers preview their Spring and Summer collections for the following year. This kicks off in New York on 6 September, before heading to London, Milan, and concluding in Paris at the end of the month. Keep up with all the latest fashion trends by getting some expert opinion from fashionistas for your feature article.

Oktoberfest is a German tradition but has become increasingly popular in the UK over the last few years. The official event in Munich will last for two weeks, starting on 21 September. Various cities and towns will be hosting their own events from late September onwards, providing ample opportunity to preview, and then review, the celebrations.

Still stuck? Here are common trends from the Journalist Enquiry Service for September

Despite being three months away, Christmas is already popular with journos using the Journalist Enquiry Service. 13% of the total requests in September 2023 were about ‘Christmas’, with 8% looking for gift guide products and items, and nearly 3% for advent calendars. A lot of editorial deadlines for magazines’ Christmas editions will fall this month, so start sending feelers out for festive feature fillers now.

On the subject of fall, the first day of Autumn is on 22 September. Last year, over 2% of journalists using the service sent enquiries with the keyword ‘Autumn’. This varied from Autumnal fashion, to skincare advice for the Autumn/Winter months, to what to do in the garden. Writing about the change of season offers plenty of different angles for articles.

Finally, as we approach spooky season, requests for Halloween features are beginning to come through. For the last two years, we have seen around 2% of journalist enquiries in September focus on ‘Halloween’. What readers want: the best costumes to dress up in, and what food and drink you should be serving to make parties as creepy and scary as possible.

Know what topic to write about, but don’t have the expert you need to provide the relevant commentary? Don’t be scared – send through a request on the Journalist Enquiry Service to get what you need (an expert, a case study, a review product, and much more).

If you’re looking for a press release to add that finishing touch to an article – statistics, quotes, details of upcoming events – find what you want via the Press Release Wire.