No Such Thing As A Free Meal

I just got asked by wysgal ...You may think this is a rude question so don't answer if you don't feel like it ... but when you cover restaurants for the newspaper do you pay your own way? Or does the publication pay for it? Or do you announce you're from XYZ publication so they give you a free meal (and A+ service)?... and I think this deserves not just a reply but a post.The job of a food critic