We are thrilled by the positive press and we want to show our appreciation to the reporter by giving her a coffee mug and some 4-H clover cookies. It' s great that you got such wonderful coverage for 4-H in your local newspaper, but it is not appropriate to give a reporter a gift.
Many newspapers have very strict rules prohibiting reporters from accepting gifts.
These rules exist to protect the integrity of the news process. Other ways to show your gratitude to the reporter for the time and effort she put into the story would be to send her a thank you note, a handwritten letter or card signed by youth, or to place a phone call saying how much you appreciated her effort. I follow this rule myself pretty rigidly, but I would say that one of the exceptions to this rule in the media would be radio station morning shows. Sometimes the DJs for these shows like to have interesting food to eat and will gladly devour your snacks and talk at great length to you and your 4-H'ers on the air. I recommend doing this only if you have an arrangement with the station ahead of time or if you have a good relationship with the station, and only if it is understood that this is acceptable practice.