Whether you’re taking a reporter to lunch at the local coffee shop, or inviting the media to an elaborate press conference complete with tables of gourmet delicacies, feeding the media can be fraught with problems.

• Who picks up the check if you’re taking them to lunch?

• Are gifts of food OK during the holidays, and should they be sent to individual reporters or the entire news department?

• What if you’re hosting a media tour for travel writers at your new resort? Do you automatically assume that if they accept your invitation, you will pay for everything?

• What about alcohol? Can you and a reporter have a beer or mixed drink if you’re being interviewed over lunch at a restaurant?

Be extra careful when dealing with reporters who work for newspapers and magazines, however, particularly those at bigger publications where the ethics policies are more stringent.

Here’s a common-sense guide that will help you put your best foot forward and make everyone feel comfortable: Special Report #43, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Offering Food to the Media”