Being a journalist is one way of living a Champagne lifestyle on a prosecco wage. (There are probably others but I imagine most of them aren’t legal.)
I’ve stayed in amazing hotels I could never have afforded, eaten in restaurants where the bill was more than I spend on food monthly, and worn diamonds worth more than my house.
Which is great but comes with its own form of stress.
Even to a jaded journo with a few more pounds in the bank, there’s always the heart palpitating moment at check out when you worry whether they’ve got the memo you’re a journalist here to review.
Ditto the spa or the salon or the restaurant.
So it is really reassuring when a PR has been clear about what will be covered and what will be at your own expense. It’s always a cringe talking about money, but it’s best to be upfront.
And your journalist guests will grateful to those PR’s who ensure there is no confusion at check out. Because nothing ruins an experience like having to explain to a skeptical member of staff that you get this stuff for free because you’re reviewing it.
They can’t quite believe how jammy you are.
Quite frankly I’m with them.
