A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a PR Agency entitled Barbicanʼs Great Performers Season – Blogger exclusive event.
I'm normally very sceptical of anything free, and know full well that there are plenty of people in PR, marketing etc who have sussed out that if they flatter bloggers enough they can use them to promote events and products. The email did make me realise that I haven't addressed my booking needs for the Barbican yet this season, (other than Otello in December).
I decided to accept the invite; at the time I had no other engagements or commitments today, and I thought, well, if I get to meet some other bloggers, it will be worthwhile. Anyway, it's for a product I already endorse and, I suppose, promote.
The event was access to the rehearsal of Dido & Aeneas being performed twice this evening by Les Arts Florissants. I was instructed to report to the advance ticket desk and was given the name of a contact (who I now know is in marketing at the Barbican).
I reported to the advance ticket office but this was news to the man staffing it. He directed me to reception and the woman there was incredibly helpful with a clear desire to resolve problems. She rang around and rang around, and I even spoke to someone or other on the phone.
The name I had been given wasn't answering her phone (probably not even in the building) and it was complete news to the duty house manager. The woman on reception advised me to go in anyway, and if challenged, just explain the situation.
I thought that it would be quite good fun to blag my way in, even though I was actually feeling quite a lot of anger (and doing remarkably well to remain outwardly calm and polite).
There was still time remaining so I went out beside the lake for a cigarette, and I thought, no, I am not going to have my entire day ruined by the unprofessionalism of some PR person (I had sort of promised to go canvassing this morning but chickened out when I remembered I had this to go). And actually, after the ROH's rather dismal performance of Dido and Aeneas, I'm not even sure now I particularly like the opera.
I just thought I would write this because I feel angry and humiliated by being played for a fool by some inept bimbo. I was probably a fool even to accept the invite, knowing full well that there is no such thing as an obligation-free giveaway.
I don't like being beholden to anyone. When I was a councillor, the law required all conflicts of interest to be declared, and with a few logical exceptions*, having a conflict of interest meant that we couldn't vote on the relevant matter. As a member of a chartered professional institute I abide by the code of ethics that states that any gifts or treats must be declared, and that a conflict of interest means that one should step away from the assignment.
I wish to apply the same ethical standards to any critical writing that appears on this blog. It is not saying that judgement is automatically clouded by receiving giveaways, but that the readers have a right to know if the writer is independent.
I don't accept any 'write-a-review for free tickets' deal, because I then don't have to live in fear in endangering the cosy relationship by writing honestly. I have in the past, wrongly, accepted free 'plus one' tickets.
I now realise it this is unethical to accept giveaways for performances that are sold out, especially when my role was simply one of ligging greedily. Either the reviewer is there to work and could arguably justify a free ticket, but it's not normal to bring one's friends to work. Or else, they are there for a night out with a friend, in which case they should buy their own ticket. This is different from circumstances where promoters offer free tickets or goodies in competitions that are open to anyone and is diametrically different from advertised offers for heavily discounted tickets (often resulting from poor sales).
I have started adding a footnote to my performance reviews that state that I bought the ticket myself. There is a widespread erroneous assumption on the internet that anyone who regularly writes performance reviews needs to have free tickets to do so.
For example, on one newsgroup, someone wrote that the role of the newspaper critic is diminishing with the spread of newsgroups, blogs and bulletin boards - the average fan does not need to rely solely on the mainstream media to find opinions and reflections on the performances. Someone replied that that isn't true - internet reviewers have to prove their capability to the opera house before they get tickets. Which was a classic case of missing the point entirely. (The point being that anyone who attends a performance has an opinion; self-publishing on the internet has removed the logistical and cost barriers to disseminating that opinion).
I am not aware of any publication, whether mainstream media or web-based fanzines that declare that they have received free tickets for their reviewer (and, often, a plus one). I think they should, because they are not independent, even though I assume that many of their contributors have the intellectual rigour and moral integrity not to let their freebies cloud their judgement.
I just one to make it absolutely clear that I run this blog and the lifestyle that makes it possible at my own expense (admittedly, I'm really bad at saying 'it's my round') except for an occasional payment from Google ads or Amazon, which combined don't meet my blog-hosting costs.
* such as being a resident and council tax payer of the Borough (!); or being employed by a public body that worked in partnership with the council
