hospitality


lunches were a welcome change from beans on toast. It was always the case that some kinds of journalism


attracted more freebies than others. With the beauty, travel and business desks having a good time of it, the newsdesk was excited if Greggs sent free sausage rolls. Sunderland says: “The obvious concern with the largesse


would be that companies were getting themselves good coverage as a result. If any of the PRs thought that, they would have soon been disabused. If companies deserved criticism, they got it regardless. Now, most journalists are too busy to take lunch and anyone coming back to the office worse for wear would be frowned upon. “The industry is healthier, saner, more sober and no doubt better for the demise of those days. But – dare I say it – rather duller.”


Next generation As Sunderland points out, the lack of social media in the 1990s and 2000s meant there was little fear of having indiscretions on press trips plastered all over the world. Today’s more seasoned journalists must be breathing a collective sigh of relief that camera phones are a recent invention. That said, socialising with people in the industry still helps to form contacts. “It’s possible to forge relationships without the freebies of course,” says Sunderland. “But I do notice that a lot of younger journalists don’t seem to like talking to people on the phone, let alone meeting them.” Fran Yeoman is head of journalism and associate professor of journalism and media literacy at Liverpool John Moores University. She believes that freebies are ‘inevitably vital’ if coverage of subjects like regional arts are to continue, given the budgets of local and independent news outlets. “The nationals are rarely to be seen at shows and exhibitions in Liverpool, and local sites I write for don’t have the budget to


Praise and partiality: what the code says


The NUJ Code of Conduct states: “A journalist does not by way of statement, voice or appearance endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service save for the promotion of her/his own work or of the medium by which she/he is employed.” However, that does


not apply to looking at goods or services in order to inform the public. The wording in the code is to prevent journalists making paid appearances in press or TV adverts for the goods.


pay for tickets, yet coverage is really important to both the arts organisations and their audiences. But what is crucial is that trained journalists understand that this cannot compromise what they then go on to write about.” She continues: “I have an example from this week. A PR who


had offered one of our student journalists a free meal at a restaurant for a review, then followed up with another email suggesting that she can’t write about the restaurant’s unhealthy food options because of new advertising regulations. Whether or not the PR understands the difference between editorial reviews subject only to honest opinion and advertising, I wonder whether the influencers and other non-trained content creators who are also asked to review restaurants, then perhaps given similar steers, understand the media law and ethics involved.” The conduct of influencers aside (a can of worms that requires its own double-page spread), what is considered acceptable in 2026? As a PR, Stephenson believes there is more respect for ethical boundaries on both sides of the fence. “It’s not appropriate to go out with a corporate credit card and just get everyone drunk. However, some of my first nights out doing the job were initiations that required drinking copious amounts, keeping up with everyone else and showing up on time the next morning. That’s just not acceptable in the same way today although it no doubt still happens,” he says. Hospitality might not be as exuberant as it was 30 years ago


but it still has a place. The concern is that those vital human connections, so common at the turn of the century, are now scarce, which must surely be detrimental to newsgathering and holding power to account. Yes, the freebies of the past were sometimes gratuitous, but they served an important purpose. Journalists learnt their trade, knew how to source a story, understood how to forge sources and always came back with exclusive content. And, if that’s not the definition of being a journalist, what is?


theJournalist | 13


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