{"id":4670,"date":"2011-05-09T09:42:30","date_gmt":"2011-05-09T16:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nerdseyeview.com\/blog\/?p=4670"},"modified":"2011-05-09T12:43:46","modified_gmt":"2011-05-09T19:43:46","slug":"on-saying-no-to-press-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nerdseyeview.com\/blog\/2011\/05\/09\/on-saying-no-to-press-trips\/","title":{"rendered":"On Saying No to Press Trips"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently received what I thought was an invitation for a press trip to Israel. It turned out to be an invitation to apply <\/em>for a spot in the trip. (Take note, PR folks, and remember to be clear in your language when you send out invitations.) It was a curious little invite, written by a student at the university in Haifa. The English was very good — not quite native, but excellent nonetheless.<\/p>\n

The trip agenda included things like Security and Technology and conversations with real Israeli soldiers. It was this last item that tripped the yellow alert. Israel has universal conscription; almost every Israeli is a “real Israeli soldier.” Your waitress. The bus driver. The guy behind the front desk at your hotel. You don’t need a special liaison to find a soldier to talk to in Israel.<\/p>\n

I went online to find out more about the organization backing this trip and found some interesting information. Suggested ties to neo-con organizations. Stories of conflicts with peace activists. There are talking points on the parent site (some are maddening tautologies) that address the usual critiques of Israeli politics and policy. It was all starting to make sense. This was a propaganda tour! I’d been invited to apply to participate in a sort of ideology field trip! Fascinating!<\/p>\n

I’m not so naive as to think that this is the first press trip to have an agenda. There’s no flu or crime in Cancun, please stop cancelling your vacations to Mexico. Gulf coast seafood is safe and the beaches are clean, so spend your dollars on our shrimp and see the ocean from your hotel room. Yeah, it looks crazy in the Middle East, but Jordan is an island of stability plus, whoa, we have Petra! In most cases, the agenda is to spread this message: Our destination is awesome. Come spend your money here.<\/p>\n

I have my own agenda on press trips, I’d be lying if I said otherwise. I’ve said yes to Cancun — I was desperate for sunshine and guacamole. I’d say yes to Jordan (see above under “Whoa, we have Petra.” I’ve said no to all inclusive resorts, it’s just not my style, and I recently turned down a trip to Jamaica because of bad timing. I said no to a trip to Oklahoma because they contacted me one week before the trip started. I almost always say yes to Hawaii and anything in the Pacific Northwest. I said a joyful yes to Austria, after all, that’s where I keep my in-laws. It’s also where I became a blogger. Austria kind of launched me as a writer, there’s some sweetness to returning there on a press trip.<\/p>\n

It turns out that mostly, I say yes to places that I’ve gone on my own or written about extensively without any press trip support. But what about the “no” places? What makes me say no when I’m being offered airfare and (typically) the best hotel rooms in the house and all expenses paid? What kind of idiot turns down a trip to Jamaica? This kind, apparently. There’s a seeming method to this madness, though. The “Why no?” essentials go something like this:<\/p>\n