Press Policies on Gadgets, Free Products & Other Giveaways
In this new monthly feature, we look at where the fruits of some of your labors go. That fancy paperweight or trip invitation to the Bahamas or digital camera that you sent to 30 select journalists may have ended up in the circular file, as a Christmas gift for Aunt Martha, or in a growing "return to sender" pile. While there's never any guarantee that a gift you send to the press results in a positive story about your company or product, Media Monitor will help you to better identify your PR mailing efforts. Each month, we'll look at "gift policies" of three media organizations. Please e-mail editor Debra Murphey at [email protected] with suggestions for profiles in Media Monitor.
Publication | Sources | Gift Policy? | What They Do With Your Gifts | Comments |
New York Magazine 444 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10022 |
Amy Churgin (publisher) Nathaniel Brown (account executive, 212/685-4300) | No written, formal policy | Products sent for review (from alarm clocks to stationery) are returned to sender. | Inappropriate to send "big ticket" items, such as free trips, though small, promotional items, like T-shirts, toiletries, are kept by staff. |
Parents Magazine 685 Third Ave. New York, NY 10017 |
Ann Murphy (editor in chief, 212/499-2000) Sue Greamian (director of corporate affairs, 212/499-1621) | No formal policy. | Books and toys are reviewed and are often sent to a charity. | If there's a good working relationship between editor and company, then gifts are acceptable. Familiarization trips are not acceptable; Parents will pay for the trip itself if they are interested. |
The Washington Post 1150 15th St. NW Washington, D.C. 20071 |
Len Downey (executive editor, 202/334-7512) Jabari Asim (asst. editor, 202/334-7881) | Formal, written policy; staff does not accept gifts from news sources or free trips. Exceptions are meals, which are acceptable only when they are occasional. | For book review, the Post rarely calls a publisher to get books for its reviews; 99% of the time, they're sent directly to the book review editors. Books are donated to charities and nonprofits. | The Post is rather strict with its gift policies. Free admission to an event (that is not free to the public) is prohibited. |