Two Faces of the Same Coin: Analyzing PR Professionals’ and Journalists’ Perspectives on the Ethics of Press Trips

Press trips represent a practice in which organizations, aiming to secure positive publicity, invite journalists on trips funded by companies, institutions, or various clients. Although they are one of the most widely used public relations techniques, they remain among the least researched practices in media relations. They provide journalists with access to information, locations, and sources that would often be impossible to obtain otherwise, but at the same time they raise questions concerning professional autonomy, transparency, and the boundaries between earned and sponsored media. This study explores the ethical dimensions of press trips through the perspectives of both public relations practitioners and journalists/editors in Croatia. The analysis is based on ten semi-structured interviews conducted with five senior public relations practitioners and five experienced journalists and editors who regularly participate in press trips. The findings indicate that neither professional group perceives press trips as inherently unethical. Instead, ethical dilemmas arise through more subtle mechanisms, including gratitude, long-term professional relationships, and the structural realities of contemporary journalism. Participants consistently identified shrinking newsroom resources, rather than direct pressure from public relations practitioners, as the primary factor shaping journalists’ dependence on sponsored travel. Based on these findings, the paper proposes practical ethical guidelines for both public relations practitioners and news organizations aimed at strengthening transparency, professional autonomy, and responsible media relations.