I don't really think I'm a journalist. I don't report the news or stuff like that, or at least not yet. I've just handed in my first news piece and I'll find out on Monday if it is going in which is quite exciting but that's not the point of this blog post.
The point is that lots of journalists have very loose morals. Writers for magazines and newspapers get bribed a lot - not traditionally money - but freebies. It's sort of part of the scheme of things now. If say a product is being launched, no matter what the product is the launch will be somewhere nice like a smart hotel with free booze or perhaps even somewhere hot to lure journalists out. I don't see a huge problem with this provided the journalists follow rule seven which is don't take the piss.
Just because a PR has squeezed your knee and brought you a cocktail you shouldn't really give their product a better review. Sadly not everyone follows this system and this chap at Motorcycle News should be taken out and flogged.
How is this news?
Although if he does get flogged can you take his jacket off first? I'd love some Hein Gericke gear.
10 comments:
Journalism? No way! And do the dolts at MCN not realise that their readers will LOATHE reading about the lucky git who togged himself up for free - they couldn't do it themselves, so why would they want to read about another jammy bastard who did, simply by being a writer? No wonder nobody likes us scribes. I know we all like a launch and a free glass of bubbly, but we're not rubbing readers' noses in it when we do that. This is different.
PS All I want is a Dolce & Gabbana frock, if anyone's reading this.
Most of the free stuff I get is rubbish. This morning I received a stack of CDs including:
Gerry & The Pacemakers - The EMI Years
The Very Best of Joe Brown
Liverpool - The Number Ones Album
The Best of Outer Limits & Jeff Christie
With the possible exception of Gerry and his pals, that's a big shower of shit wot dropped through my letterbox. So it's not all gold in the world of the writer.
Clair - I really hope someone at MCN realises that they have shot themselves in the foot with this. I know a bit of of the story behind this the clothing company have just changed their PR and this would be one of the first actions of the new PR. Great eh?
BPP - I got given some ham today, it is tasty. Today is a good day.
Already the perks are flooding in, eh? I still think I'm ahead of any of my fellow writing types with my signed copy of Tubular Bells II - signed to someone else, no less. BEAT THAT!
BPP - Hold on a moment, you got sent something with actual value? BLIMEY. Who was it signed to? 'dear bid winner'
Today I'm designing a board game for a book. So it's not proper journalistic ham it's just free pork.
The old hamola scandal eh?
The most expensive freebie I ever got was a rather marvellous cigar humidor which I gave away. Oh, and all those nice, expensive press trips. I miss those.
I just swagged a free sterling-silver, logo-embossed compass ... um ... in case I get lost in a posh resort.
A games-reviewer friend received a replica samurai sword once. Makes all my free towels, even the Chinese silk shawl, seem a bit shite in comparison.
The only freebie that ever turned my head: a rubber chicken keychain from Archie McPhees in Seattle, pretty much kitsch outfitter to the world. But Oxford fireman stole the original ... and I've since replaced it twice, purging my bad-journo karma, surely?
I'll have to dig it out. It's something along the lines of:
To Steve, all the best, Mike Oldfield.
I think it's Steve.
I also own all of the Bonzo Dog Band records - two sets of white sleeve promos, and three, yes three, re-release retail sets. Y'know? Just in case I lose four copies of Keynsham.
Actually, I'm drowning in white sleeves. Anyone need a Best of Bread or The Complete Earth, Wind & Fire CD?
Amanda - The compass sounds great but I think the difference is you wouldn't write a feature titled 'journalist gets smashing compass'.
Guess Cow is too easy but, would be real impressed with a knee squeeze from a PR and a nice cocktail.
Moo!
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