by S. Lane
I would like to see a story regarding the crimes committed on the golf course. If you want to be obective, be objective. When you can find a completely crime free area to visit, please let us know.

by Dove Jones
Tim & Chris - your own credibility might be enhanced if you knew enough to know that Lynn Seldon is NOT a she, he's a he & a well respected writer - not out for freebies- I suggest you spend less time trying to prove what rebels you are & a little more time on the real subject matter of golf- Everyone has an opinion & I'd like to think that others are as important as yours whether you agree with them or not- exactly what are your credentials to judge destinations and courses?- let's see if you are men enough to print your mistake - I realize the CIA manual doesn't cover profiles of real writers - but very little resarch would have shown you that Lynn is a man www.Lynnseldon.com would have done the trick - or don't you believe in researching the subjects you critize for doing the same- & just curious I also know that you have been known to accept a trip or two yourselves - there are many others in this industry that refuse all offers to remain obejective.

by Mike Jamison
Being a former journalist (for 16 years) who now works on the PR side, I found your column very interesting. And while I basically agree with your theory, I found parts if it rather amusing - one statement in particular:
"In today’s economic climate, any number of publications are forced to accept subsidized trips – including TravelGolf.com – if they want to produce travel stories for readers."
FORCED to accept subsidized trips? Come on now.
So you think it is OK to accept free trips from destinations or resorts, then rip them in print or on the air? Your friends and family must dread the holiday season. What do you do to someone who disappoints with a gift?
May I suggest that your publication either pays its own way, or avoids the trips entirely. That way, nobody is disappointed: You, your readers or the gracious host.

by gary slatter
Most travel writers are very helpful. A travel writer is not a travel critic. Unlike your editor before I travel I want to know about the good stuff a place has to offer. If I want the bad stuff I could read one of Tim MacDonald's early pieces.

by carl o
Article about the poor state of travel writing was as tepid and shallow as the pieces the author was criticizing. Would it be as appropriate to mention, in a expose of crime in Miami, that there were beautiful beaches and lush vegitation nearby? I think not.
There has to be an assumption that the reader is being entertained by these pieces and would not be foolish enough to expect that the articles would provide a true, accurate and comlete picture of what the situation is like as any given point in time and what their particular experiences would be.
I maintain that travel writing should, on the primary level, entertain and be complete in that respect. As a bonus it would provide insight, ideas, and sources for finding additional information. If a writer were to write a piece that groused about a destination or service, it better well be funny or few editors will print it. And it is a curious that
human nature is so warped that the trips most people mention or talk
about, are the ones that go abysmally bad.

by Allan Lynch
I just read your comments about the state of travel writing. I agree it's much too cheerful at times. As a freelance travel writer I have difficulty keeping up adjective for adjective with my colleagues. But shouldn't this sad state be shared or even dare I suggest be blamed on editors? Haven't they the final say regarding content?
I write for a small stable of publications on a regular basis. One
editor told me 'we don't do negative. If the property or destination
isn't up to scratch, ignore them. We don't want to get sued.' It's a
different form of libel chill.
As for not being invited on press trips. I don't much care. If you're a
producer, the PR people will swallow their annoyance and try to find a
way to work with you. I don't think we have to be adversaries, but I
don't have a lot of patience with people who don't understand who my
readers are and expect me to make them look good. As for the perks, one
national travel office told me I was
the only writer they ever worked with who actually asked for a downgrade in
accommodation. It was a non-brainer for me, the readers for that piece were
travelling for leisure and wouldn't pay to stay in a business hotel.
Not all of us are out there hogging it all in. Sometimes we think more
about the reader than we're given credit for.

by Ann
Your column about travel writers and press trips had many valid points -- especially about writers forgetting that they can still tell the whole truth even if the trip was free. The obvious solution to this free trip controversy is for newspapers and magazines (and even web sites!) to pay travel writers a decent amount of money for their articles.
It is fun work, but it is still WORK. How could I take a cruise, pay for it, take at least 4 days away from the office, and then sell a story to a newspaper for only $400 or a magazine for $800 or so?

by J. Miller
Yes, it's true. The travel writing that appears in most newspapers and magazines is downright boring. But travel writers simply give editors what they ask for. There is little demand for a piece describing the dangers of wandering through Naples, Italy, or even articles that give an insightful look at local life.
Most publications simply want cheery fodder that helps out advertisors. And let's be honest here. Travel writing pays the LEAST of all writing professions. MAJOR newspapers pay $100-$200 per story (including photos). Who can travel ANYWHERE on that and make a living? If you pay that little, then you are forcing the writer to rely on subsidized trips.