Christmas in September: what journalists are requesting for the festive season

While it can feel like the Christmas season comes earlier every year, journalists are already busy putting their festive features for Xmas 2021 together (and it’s not even Halloween yet).

During August, the helpful elves (media researchers) on the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service team received around 150 requests with a mention of the word ‘Christmas’, with the majority focusing on ‘gift guides’, some looking for generic Christmassy stories and case studies, and a handful asking for help with advent calendars, food and drink and competition prizes.

It’s shaping up to get even busier during September – if you haven’t used the service before, book a demo here. In the meantime, here are a taster of themes we’re seeing so far from titles including Pick Me Up!, the Daily Mail, Good Housekeeping, PlantBased and more – could you help the media with any of these topics?

What to put under the tree
– Gifts you can find in garden centres – ornaments, crystals, candles, plant pots
– Prezzies for your pets
– Eco- and vegan-friendly beauty, food and drink
– Books of all genres
– Sustainable or handmade decorations, tableware and craft kits
– Geek-worthy gamer and streamer tech
– Educational stocking stuffers for children
– Slick skateboards for review

Ways to get in the Christmas mood
– Juicy Christmas-related stories involving relationship woes, quirky health anecdotes and love rats (these are not just for Christmas, of course)
– Food, sock, pet, beauty, alcohol and, of course, chocolate advent calendars
– Santa grottos worth a visit this year
– Chutney recipes to pair with wine
– Ethical and sustainable or personalised loungewear for Christmas chill time
– Festively-filled sandwiches for review

Spokespeople or expert commentary*
– Commentary on the pet gifting industry
– Interviews with women who’ll be working over the Christmas
– Business details and stories from black-owned hamper brands
– Uplifting stories from women who’ve experienced something inspiring over the course of the pandemic and would like to share
– Real-life Christmas community stories
– Advice for how to bring Christmas cheer back to events after the UK’s lockdowns
– How to stay calm when things get stressful with the family
– Comment on how the HGV driver shortage and shipping costs could impact Christmas shopping options this year

Could you help with filling up these Christmas features this year? Try out the Journalist Enquiry Service to have enquiries from journalists looking for help delivered straight to your inbox – no sleigh or reindeer set up needed.

*Father Christmas is not available for comment this time of year – very busy

Want to know how to make the most of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service? Read our tips for responding to journalists.