Wherever there is a free meal, wherever there is a buffet, wherever a lunch is offered, whenever a cocktail meeting takes place, there you will find a pressman. Beside the pressmen's commandments is the principle by which no information feed is possible without feeding the information makers, which means nothing but journalists alone consume a huge quota of world food stock. «Feed the press to feel the press», that's the rule! That's the way. Sometimes the path to pass from feeling the press and feeling depressed is very short, but that's another story. Anyway, whenever press is not fed, the press always find the way for a self-service! It has been proved pressmen are able to eat everything up alone, and this is why the press world will never die of starvation. So, in case of no food moment, every editor is ready to revise the agenda and delete all the press events when their men are not treated as deserved. That's the reason why in every important event free food is given to correspondents, since this is a guarantee that press will attend. At the same time organizers will be sure journalists are not going to write too negative reports just because of lunch. This is not corruption, this is nothing but business. Remember: coverage rhymes with beverage! Thus, if you want friendly media or simply media coverage reports you have to create the right environment offering at least something to drink. At least. After all if diplomacy and decision happen around a table, the same can happen with information. Most of the time those who write negative stories are the journalist who hadn't be invited.
You can't fool the press, but you can food. Rules are clear: if you want journalists attending, then foodservice has to be provided and be uppercase or in bold on the agenda. A simple coffee break or a fast food doesn't make any difference. The presence of something to eat is the only thing counts. The press will never let the invitation remain pending, that's for sure. Sandwiches, snacks, chips, or even just a glass of orange juice: in front of free refreshment pressmen are never snob, and never make prisoners. It's question of courtesy, of course, but it is above all question of fame. The ones who don't even taste what is on the table are inexperienced. It could sound weird, but food participation is a benchmark to evaluate professional skills in journalism.
There are people who were able to become left-handed because with the right hand had to held sandwiches. Of course these are the typical urban legends, even though they are not too far from reality. There are in the press world people able to work (meaning writing or reporting the story by phone) while eating, and there is no doubt this is a skill. That's the case for scoop hunters, of course. Pressmen belonging to other category have in fact another approach: first eat, then write. It can be understood considering that living in a very pressed world having the own moment to stop just for a while is for certain people a priority, so it is for certain less pressed pressmen. In general, what makes a journalist a great journalist is the agenda. The latter is generally made taking into account and mapping all the events with lunch, coffee break, buffet and so on. The real pressman is the one able to don't spend a penny for food. Don't call him scrounger, please! He is the perfect pressman.
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