Tickets - Reporters and editors should not accept for their personal use free tickets to any performance or event from a source or potential source. They should not pass on such tickets to others. Reporters and editors may accept tickets according to management policy for review or preview of an event, so long as it is clear a review will be forthcoming. Review tickets should be limited to one per performance. Gifts, meals, other payments - Reporters and editors should make it a common practice to refuse all gifts.
Fewer gifts can only mean fewer ethical questions.
Employees should discuss any and all gifts with a supervisor. No payments of restaurant meals with sources should be accepted. Go Dutch or pay for both meals. Common courses of action will be to send the gift back to the giver, pay for it, or donate it to a charitable organization or other worthy cause and notify the giver of the donation. The newspaper has no control over spouses of employees and so cannot limit giving or activism by a spouse.