A biz editor and his PR loot

Jon Chesto, the business editor of the Quincy Patriot-Ledger, writes about all of the stuff that public relations firms have sent him in a bid to gain coverage.

Chesto writes, “The latest package to arrive here was even hand-delivered, courtesy of New England Development. The new owner of the Westgate Mall is helpfully reminding us that it’s Christmastime – by giving us a bright-red stocking, a tree ornament and a coffee mug with some sort of gleeful gingerbread pattern.

“Looks like another one for the Graft Table.

“That’s my affectionate nickname for the desk in the business department where I try to give away all the PR-related loot that arrives in the mail. After all, I personally can’t keep any of the stuff. That would be a violation of everything we learned in those ethics classes in journalism school (exceptions are made, of course, for any big boxes from The Boston Beer Company).

“Sometimes, I end up with an item or two that no one else wants. Journalists have a low bar when it comes to freebies, but they do have standards. The arrival of the Westgate Mall care package prompted me to take a quick inventory of the leftovers in my mailbag.”

Read more here.