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August 12, 2005
Lunch with reporters? Go Dutch
I recently had lunch with a couple of Washington Post reporters. When I let them know I was going to pay my own way, they were baffled.
I was baffled that they were baffled. Certainly, as veteran reporters in Washington, they had dined with quite a few government sources. And my guess is that my reporter colleagues offered to pay most of the time.
So why had they never encountered a government spokesperson who insisted on paying his own way?
Seems to me that if reporters pick up the tab, they are doing so primarily because of your government position, not because they like you. While it's true they may not want a government contract, they do want something of value from you--information.
So, according to government ethics laws, they would probably be in the category of someone who has “interests that may be substantially affected by performance or nonperformance of the employee's official duties.”
Even though you're allowed to dine on a reporter’s tab if the bill is under $20, my personal opinion is that government media professionals should never accept any such treats.
Why not?
Bottom line: if reporters wine and dine you, you will feel in the back of your mind like you owe them something. And that’s exactly why they’re paying.
Go Dutch.
Posted by dbauthor at August 12, 2005 6:44 PM
Comments
I felt the same way as a reporter, a PR flack and as a politician. No freebies. Tough to stick to, but worth being able to sleep nights.
Posted by: Alex at August 14, 2005 6:22 PM
I agree. But aren't "public servants" and/or those employed by the federal government denied meals, gifts, et al? In my experience, they always have done so, and definitely the aerospace execs. Politicians? Well, that's a story in itself, eh?
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