Taking the road less traveled

To junket? Or not to junket?

It’s a question that plagues many arts and culture (and travel) journalists for our whole careers. Junkets are ethically fraught opportunities for free travel that have popped up in my inbox many times in my 20-year career as a freelance culture journalist. Although less frequent post-pandemic, I’ve turned down train tickets from theater companies, invites from embassies and most often, trips to arts festivals in exchange for coverage. 

Each time, I have to explain that outlets like The Globe and Mail, The New York Times and Washington Post rarely allow journalists to accept paid travel, and certainly don’t allow quid-pro-quo exchanges of flights and hotel rooms for favorable coverage. ...

Many magazines and trade publications allow journalists to accept junkets, and as the industry continues to contract, some outlets have relaxed their standards. That’s why the model hasn’t changed. But what if it did? What if festivals with marketing budgets took that money and instead created educational opportunities, curated community collaborations and put long-term relationships ahead of short-term publicity? 

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