Where do science journalists draw the line?

The annual meeting for the National Association of Science Writers got off to a heated start last October in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The first session centered on the knotty issue of ethics. According to several reporters in attendance, many in the audience voiced concerns about whether it is ethical for a reporter to take money from outside interests for travel, hotel expenses, or honorarium. Some attendees grumbled that fees for freelancers have remained stagnant for decades and when media companies don’t pay expenses, reporters miss out on stories. So what should be allowed.
Toward the end of the session, a veteran journalist went to the microphone and posed the following scenario: You’re reporting on a new paper finding that doctors think they can’t be swayed by gifts from pharmaceutical representatives, even though research shows physicians are in fact influenced by small gratuities such as pens. As part of your reporting, you go to lunch with a pharma representative, who then offers to pick up the tab. Is that okay?
Almost everyone in the room agreed that it was not.
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