Swag

When I was a journalism student, it was the time of Watergate and Woodward and Bernstein bringing down President Richard Nixon thanks, in part, to their reporting. But as time went on in my career I learned journalism was less high-profile scoops, and more writing product briefs and mundane calling of sources and reporting on everyday events.

(Margo D. Beller)

So it was relief to be able to leave the office and attend hearings and press conferences where I could take notes and ask pesky questions. Usually I had a question ready so I could jump in to fill the 5-second pause between "Any questions?" and the first hand going up. My questions were usually rather blunt, such as, "What do you want to accomplish by pulling all of us in here?" Maybe I was being naive but I really did want to know. 

Usually one of two press flacks would rush up to me as the press conference broke up to further explain the company's or the politician's position.

But it wasn't all hard news and making politicians squirm. Many times there were lunches in swanky places I'd never be able to afford on my own. And there were other freebies, including from my then-employers.

Swag greases much of journalism.

My house has plastic travel mugs with the name of the wire service where I edited copy for 12 years, china coffee mugs from the business network website where I wrote and edited for 13 months, and quite a few books left by their publishers for the taking around the various offices where I've worked. At the business network there was also plenty of free food ordered for special guests on various shows. If you knew which "green room" had the spread you could eat well. I know I ate too well.

Funny how these companies have plenty of money for food and coffee mugs but then cry poverty when their reporters seek a raise.

(Margo D. Beller)

Away from the office the best two freebies were the golf bag at the event where Arnold Palmer gave me his autograph for my father-in-law, and this pictured tankard from an annual meeting of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, that year in New Orleans. 

I had always wanted to go to New Orleans and this glass, which I use for water, is a lovely souvenir. The Crescent City Brewhouse is still in existence on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. The Home Insurance Company that sponsored the mug - which we were allowed to keep - is also still around but is now owned by TVH Acquisiton Corporation. According to one site I looked at, TVH is an investor group "whose principal partners include Trugg-Hansa Holding AB--Sweden's second-largest insurer--and Industrial Mutual Insurance--Finland's second-largest insurer." TVH bought Home, at one point renamed AmBase, in 1991.

In my time I've run across many reporters who considered it their due to be treated royally when it came to freebies, especially if their employers could afford it. The Wall Street Journal, pre-Rupert Murdoch, was one example. While I was with an insurance trade magazine I usually took the subway to an event, such as at Tavern on the Green in New York's Central Park. They got a hired car to drive them up and back. A reporter for the New York Times could not believe the chartered river cruise that had pulled away from the pier did not come back for him when he arrived five minutes late. (Those of us on the boat joked about the bad write-up the sponsoring insurance group was now going to get from the Times.)

Both places have since gone through reorganizations (to separate news from Murdoch's more profitable movie group) and closing departments. But there are always conferences to bring in the money. And whether billed as newsmaker gatherings or a big get-together for crypto bros, the swag flows like water.

When I worked for the cryptocurrency news publication, so much swag was ordered for the big annual conference that year that there was plenty left over. Those in the office were strongly encouraged to take it, including mugs and T-shirts. (After all, it had been paid for.) Unfortunately, I was working from home at the time and could not add to my mug collection. 

Times in the crypto universe were good at the time of that conference, but that would soon change with a vengeance. Within a year the drop in the price of crypto created a huge budget hole for the publication. This forced the firing of a large number of employees - including news folk such as me - to close that hole and try to interest some company into buying the publication. Eventually, such an owner was found, but it soon was obvious it only wanted the publication for the annual conference. More news people were let go.

But I'm sure the conference swag will continue to flow like water.