Last week MAC373 Media Ethics looked at the influence of PR on news output, this week we grappled with freebies and reviewing. Interesting then to read Alice Wignall in today’s Guardian,

Last Christmas, they gave you their guides …… but the very next day, you threw them away. Papers and magazines are filled with present ideas, driven by PRs pushing their goodies. But is compiling a guide a joy or a chore?

Alice tells us:

Balancing advertising and PR demands can be tricky. According to some journalists, products can be featured in editorial spreads as part of an advertising deal: a certain number of mentions over a certain number of issues. “Other times,” one explains, “it’s not an explicit thing, but obviously you’re aware which companies advertise with your publication, so it’s good to include them.”

PRs can also apply some leverage. “You know which PRs are particularly helpful or the ones you like personally. When you’re sorting through a hundred possibilities for a gift guide, those kinds of considerations can help you make a decision. And you know they’ll be a bit more helpful to you in the future if you can help them out on something too. It’s not necessarily made explicit but a lot of it is about people doing favours for each other.”

There is no link to the helpful How to Save Money this Christmas guide which is today’s G2 cover story…..