A Different Side to Journalism

To all the budding journalists reading this, you know full well that becoming a journalist means hard work, a lot of graft, low pay, and constant deadlines. You don’t do it for the glamour; you do it for the love of writing. But actually, if you’re lucky, there is a nice side to journalism.

That nice side is called the Press Trip. A Trip, otherwise known as a junket, is a special preview of an event or show that is specifically set up for journalists to experience it first-hand, be wined and dined, and, well, just generally have a fun time -- all expenses paid. Whereas press previews (for films and shows etc.) often give you a bit of finger food and an exclusive showing, a trip goes much further in aiming to please the humble journalist and showcase the very best of what the host has to offer. This summer, I was offered my very first foreign press junket at the Spanish theme park PortAventura in the north-eastern corner of Spain, Terragona, south of Barcelona, to witness the opening of their new ride Furius Baco. How could I resist the Spanish scene, a great theme park, and 0 to 135km/h in 3 seconds?

I was amongst a group of about 15 UK journalists all waiting to get on, but apart from the amazing ride, there was a very unique atmosphere at this press junket. We all ate together for lunch and dinner over three days, shared stories, and relaxed at the bar in the evenings. I got to know some very interesting personalities, and had a lot of fun with virtually perfect strangers!

On the professional side, I also experienced a (slightly bizarre and incomprehensible Spanish/Italian) press conference with seven times Moto GP Champion Valentino Rossi. And though it was mostly in a foreign language, to meet the other established journalists, get to know the format, and to see Rossi himself were all great experiences, and something that I’ll never forget. Afterwards, our group of journalists were exclusively told of future plans for PortAventura. Not only is the park undergoing constant expansion, but sitting near it will be two 18-hole golf courses and a 9-hole course. Two of these, we learnt, are to be designed by legendary golfer Greg Norman. As a (very amateur) golfer myself, I’m quite excited by this, and it’s something that’ll nicely compliment my adrenaline-junkie side after a hard day’s rollercoastering (what? It’s a word…).

I would never have found this information out had I not gone on the trip -- and yes, I write because I love doing it, not for the perks. But hey, it’s nice to get treated once in a while.

By Sukhraj Singh