I’ve recently started writing reviews for a local arts blog/email newsletter, which is fun, though the payment is minimal (but not nonexistent). The “info for authors” section of the website mentions the possibility that you can sometimes get free tickets to events as a reviewer. Which I kind of knew but never really thought about.
Yesterday, I got the weekly “Fun Guide” email, which lists half-price tickets for various art events – concerts, plays, ballets, operas, etc. – in the coming week. (Basically, if a venue still has unsold tickets for an event less than a week out, getting half price is better than nothing.) One of this week’s offerings is a big tap-dance show at the Penn performing arts center – the World! Premiere!, it turns out, of this particular show, which is a history-of-tap thing, Maurice Hines is in it, etc. Sounds like something I’d really enjoy.
I thought – hm, half price would be good – free would be better. Emailed my editor at the blog, he gave me the name of the person to contact at the Annenberg, she gave me the name of the PR person …
Yup, I’ve got two free tickets to the actual world premiere (opening night of a week-long run) of this thing on Tuesday night.
Now I’ve just got to find someone to take. Wonder what my current crush is doing Tuesday …
But – and admittedly I don’t know how this industry customarily works – isn’t there a bit of a potential conflict of interest for a review site to be working free tickets?
The review site (blog, folks I write for) isn’t giving me free tickets, the venue is giving me free tickets. (Or did I misunderstand the question?) They do so with the understanding that a review may or may not appear, and that it may or may not be positive if it does appear.
ETA: Conflict of interest for the blog to vouch for me? I’m not seeing it – they merely get more possible events covered by making it easier for their writers to attend events that would otherwise be perhaps prohibitively expensive. (Base rate on these tickets: $50. Half price: $25, so even at half price, that’s $50 for me and a companion – I’m broke, I don’t have that kind of money.) The venue gets an additional review, possibly.
Reviewers and critics get free tickets to tons of stuff. That’s how it works. Promoters and venues want you to see their event, they let you in free to see it. There’s no promise that you’ll enjoy it, say nice things about it, or review it at all, but at least they’ve given you the opportunity.
I’ve run a few (very much specific scene based) music zines, and now get in free to most shows I want to attend. Even though I no longer print the zines, there’s always the chance I’ll put a new one together or list it on my blog.
twickster: Congrats on your new found free ticket ability, by the way. Fun times ahead!
I love free tickets! We had free tickets to the Bruce Springsteen concert at Giant’s Stadium earlier this week and it was awesome. There is nothing better than getting something awesome for free.
Conflict of interest for the blog to accept free tickets from someone whom it was considering reviewing. Not out of concern that the review would be skewed, but that the publicists (or the readers) would think they’ve bought something.
Just chiming in to say that what filling_pages says is true. I have done tons of reviewing for print media and all the tickets for concerts, plays, whatever are comped. Most recently it’s been book reviews for me, and the paper receives not only advance copies but the full published version. Usually I read the advance copy and about the time the review is run the real book comes — so I’d collect a book and a (small) check at the same time.
Coincidentally, the FTC just releasednewrules of interest. If you do decide to review an event in a similar situation in the future, you may want to disclose that you got the tickets for free. These articles suggest that the FTC could impose a fine for failing to reveal such connections. I could be wrong, but it does not appear that the intent of either party in giving or receiving the free stuff is considered relevant.
I’m pretty sure it doesn’t apply – the new rules refer to products and services, neither of which would seem to include artistic works – but will keep it in mind.
The performance, BTW, was last night, and was really good. I’m planning to start a thread in Cafe Society recommending the show, which is going to tour – as soon as I finish the review (I hate writing opening paragraphs!) and submit it.