The free stuff you're about to read about is real. The names have been removed to protect the innocent. And the not-so-innocent too. But whatever.

While the pay in the game journalism business usually stinks, the perks can be pretty nice. From pre-release code and game-related trinkets to lavish trips and parties, developers and publishers will go to sometimes ridiculous lengths to keep their games at the forefront of journalists' minds.

Of course, as a journalist, you could protect yourself from undue influence by just saying no to anything and everything that's paid for by a developer or publisher you're covering. But that kind of hard line, zero tolerance policy is hard to maintain in an industry where junkets and freebies are the norm. Here are some tips for journalists who want to balance their desire for free stuff with their journalistic integrity.

Disclosure
Probably the best way to shield yourself from charges of bias, or allegations that you're in some company's pocket, is to be up front about anything and everything you get from that company. This doesn't have to be the focus of the writing – you don't have to include an itemized list of every item's value or anything. Just mention that the racing game preview you're writing is based partly on time with the game and partly on hands-on time with a sports car at the Michelin Test Track. Tell the readers that parachuting out of a transport in the war game is just like the real parachuting you did with the game's publisher. For smaller issues, simply add a line at the end of a review saying that it's based on code provided by the publisher as opposed to a copy you purchased yourself (or put a blanket note to that effect on your publication's "About Us" page).

By coming clean right there in your text, you can let the reader decide what is or isn't important to your impartiality as a journalist. What's more, you eliminate the risk that the story will come out in some embarrassing blog post or message board thread, putting you in control of the issue. Chances are the readers will enjoy the behind-the-scenes look into the "superstar" life of a game journalist. And if it's something you wouldn't be comfortable disclosing to readers? Well, maybe that's a good sign you shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

Trips/events
The rule of thumb here is simple: Attendance at an event should be based on (a) reporting value and (b) whether the same value could be achieved some other way. For part (a), the reporting value is usually what you make of it. Attending Sony's lavish E3 party at Dodger Stadium is OK if you use it as an opportunity to make connections with developers and big-wigs in attendance – it's not OK if you use it primarily as an opportunity to get drunk. Going to a Best-Buy-sponsored concert at a posh L.A. techno club is OK if you take some time to play the early demo for The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction that's sitting idle in the entrance hallway. It's OK to have fun, but remember you're there to do a job, and it should come first.

It can be a tough balancing act sometimes, because the reporting value of a trip or event is often extremely outweighed by the value of the freebie being offered to you. Other times accepting a trip to a publisher's studios is the only way to get early access to an in-development game.

You have to ask yourself: Is the reporting value of seeing Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball 2 early really worth the potential stain of a Tecmo-sponsored trip to Hawaii? Is accepting a trip on a Zero G flight worth thousands of dollars really going to increase your appreciation of an MMORPG set in outer space? If at all possible, pay your own way for such lavish demos or insist that the company send you a beta build of the game (sign an NDA or loaner form if you have to). If they still want you to come to the studios, turn down portions of the trip that aren't directly related to the game (stay in a Motel 6 instead of getting put up at the Hyatt, for instance).

Games/hardware
Being a game journalist usually means getting mountains of free games and systems. It's why a lot of people get into the business in the first place. But what to do with those games once you're done with them? My main rule here is to avoid trying to convert those games into personal monetary gain. Don't trade finished (or, worse, unopened) games to GameStop or sell them on eBay. Remember, you're getting these games to do your job, not to make some extra cash on the side.

Building a personal library of freebie games for you or your publication is OK (you never know when you'll need to go back and install Zoo Tycoon 2 again) but the sheer volume of games can overwhelm your living/work space if you are on a good number of lists. Loaning or giving extra games to friends is a little more questionable, but not too awful – the only problem there becomes friends squabbling over your collection.

A better solution is giving extra games to charity. Get Well Gamers will take used games and hardware and Child's Play will take sealed copies and unopened boxes. Don't want to focus on the gamer charities? Your local Salvation Army thrift store or Toys for Tots drop location will probably take your old stuff. If all else fails, give it to your readers in a contest or put the lot on eBay and assign a favorite charity to get the proceeds.

Swag
There's no hard and fast rule for the incidental freebies that get given out at trade shows and packaged along with review copies, but a $10 to $20 value limit is probably a good rule of thumb. So the Fallout bobble head is OK but the HDTV is not. The Assassin's Creed letter opener is OK but the World Series tickets probably are not.

Also, I know game T-shirts are a staple here, but please, please, PLEASE don't wear them to official reporting events. This is a pet peeve of mine. You're a professional for gosh sakes – when you're on the job, wear a shirt that wasn't provided free by Sony. Maybe you could even branch out to something with buttons and a collar, eh?

Living the Life
Of course, whether you can live by these rules is largely a function of your financial situation, employer budget, physical location and personal tolerance for selling out your credibility. But if you use these rules as a guide, you'll probably be able to look at yourself in the mirror without being disgusted. And that's the greatest gift of all.

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Got something you'd like to see on Media Coverage? Send it to kyle.orland@gmail.com.

Media Coverage is an opinion column. The opinions expressed in this column are solely the opinions of the columnist and are not necessarily the opinions of GameDaily.com.