The New York Times is running a story about travel writers.
"Leif Pettersen, a struggling 36-year-old guide writer from Minneapolis who details the woes of his profession on his blog, www.killingbatteries.com, said he earned no income for the first years of his career. The temptation to take freebies from publicity-seeking hotel and restaurant owners is strong, Mr. Pettersen said, adding that he resists the urge while on assignment for Lonely Planet, which forbids freebies. Let's Go writers face similar restrictions, and are urged not to identify themselves as guide writers, so as not to invite favorable treatment. Mr. Spring said Frommer's writers are allowed to accept free hotel rooms, but not free meals or tickets."
