Trisha, what you said about knowing what your publisher allows is imperative.

In today’s economy, more and more journalists are discovering they have to make use of press trips. They do not get paid as much and need the added benefit. It is up to a good journalist to write without bias.

When IFWTWA.Org runs a media trip, we expect the participants to produce. Even if their print source goes under, they can publish online.

On our trips, the host determines how many clips they want and has final approval of who attends. If someone is questionable to the host, we will do our best to help secure their application. However, if they don’t produce, we won’t go out of our way a second time. Our conference is different. Any member can attend.

It’s too bad that shows like this exist. If it makes the cut, it will mean travel writers will have to work harder to overcome the portrayal. However, that is true for any industry.

Write well, come through with stories, send clips to hosts and keep improving. That is what makes it all work.

Maralyn D. Hill, President
International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association

As a counterpoint, please allow me to post the link to the feedback thread on worldhum, which has over 100 comments from (dare I say?) a more balanced set of viewers:

http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-interviews/interview-with-charles-runnette-confessions-of-a-travel-writer-20090810/

They do have their own website, so perhaps they’ll update interested viewers there: http://confessionsofatravelwriter.com

Nice review and I agree with the comments above … travel writing is a pretty diverse group of people and technology levels.

I was on a trip last week where I was twittering and “twitpic’ing” constantly with cool things I was seeing / experiencing. At one point, a senior “print only” guy thought I was just goofing off and had very little understanding for how fast “online” media moved these days.

I guess I am “at the bottom of the food chain” but I do it for fun and trips are perks (and opportunities to go places / do things) I can’t afford on my own).

Having been on the other side of the fence formerly (with a national / international daily paper) I don’t know if there really is that much more professionalism in that group of travel writers than there is at my level – but online writers that I have met typically seem to be much more enthusiastic about their subjects because they aren’t “just another assignment”

(not that there aren’t great print or senior people too, but my experience is that “big media” people tend to ask far fewer questions and act less interested in what the host is trying to introduce the group to).

At any rate, I look forward to seeing the show sometime assuming it is on one of the cable channels I get or online somewhere

I would like to say that I honestly believe that whether or not a travel writer participates in press trips is unrelated to principles. I know quite a few travel writers that are highly principled and exemplify integrity but they do go on press trips. What they don’t do is bow to any pressure to write a glowing article – if they like a place they say so, and if they don’t they say that too.

I realize that there are some publications that won’t accept travel articles generated from a press trip, and even some that won’t accept submissions from writers who have EVER been on a press trip, and while I totally understand their reasons for doing so, I disagree with them. There are still plenty of publication opportunities available to travel writers – especially if you have good writing skills – so the decision to go or not depends upon which publication(s) you wish to write for – writers would do well to know in advance what a publication’s guidelines and rules are.

I agree with you that the show does present travel writers in a bad way, so I’m hoping it dies a quick death at the network. Maybe we can start an online petition?

I say DON’T watch it. It paints what should be an honorable profession in a dismal light and will make it harder for legitimate travel writers to get work in the future. After all, if the public doesn’t trust what travel writers say, who will buy their articles??