Discounts and Special Offers for Journalists
As a member of USPA and therefore a certified representative of the media, you may take advantage of numerous benefits. For instance, your press pass may get you special concessions at events or when buying brand products. Even if journalism is only your part-time occupation, you will be able to enjoy all of these advantages, which will quickly help you recoup the cost of your annual USPA membership.
Taking advantage of discounts of any kind is just as popular in Europe as it is in the USA. As a member of the press, you are offered such discounts at trade shows and exhibitions, in museums, at concerts, etc. Many places offer rebates of up to 40 percent off the regular price, which allows you to negotiate better deals, whether on the next hotel reservation, car rental, or your cell phone contract. More and more business sectors are offering attractive rebates in hopes of creating a positive image with members of the press and receive favorable coverage.
Ethical considerations for journalists
It is not just the American media landscape that has been experiencing rapid changes in recent years. More and more journalists are working as freelancers, whether full time or part time, and are no longer benefiting from the securities entailed by employment with an editorial office or publishing house. Freelance journalists without regular income suffer significantly greater financial burdens during their daily research efforts, the likes of which employed editors and journalists don´t have to worry about.
We at USPA devote a large portion of our support to part-time journalists in order to grant them access to the same benefits as well-established journalists. The job title "journalist" is not protected by law, and a standard press pass for all members of the media is not available in the United States. Rather, each journalism association issues its own passes. For ethical reasons, journalists should only make use of their discounts in the course of their research. However, proof of publication is rarely necessary in order to receive a discount.
