Restaurants
All the restaurant write-ups on this site involve a commercial relationship in one of two formats:
- I was invited to dine there as part of the press, which means that I did not pay for the meal. In this case I state within the write up that this was an invitation to sample the food as part of a press launch or event.
- In some cases, the write up is sponsored content, which also means that I did not pay for the meal and that I was offered compensation to give coverage. You will be able to know this from the word ‘SPONSORED’ at the end of the text.
So, how do you know whether you can trust my opinions? The way I operate is simple: I only accept invitations from places with a reputation that I trust or that are run by people that I trust. The places I write about tend to be appealing to a readership that is like-minded to me, which is the scope of this website.
If you are looking for restaurant reviews that say how bad a place is, you are in the wrong place. I will only write reviews if the restaurant delivered an EXCELLENT experience. There may be criticisms, because nothing is perfect, but the overall experience will have been positive.
So, what happens if I am invited to dine somewhere and it sucks, I hear you ask. If it is that bad, I simply don’t write about it and give personal feedback to the hosts. The intention of this website is to share good experiences.
Culture-related events
Most culture-related events are also sponsored content, and they will be included in the category of Sponsored Content. This is usually the case for interviews.
Theatre or music reviews are never paid for, in order to retain independence of critique. For reviews, this website follows the practice that is used by other local media, which is to accept complimentary tickets for reviewers.
I hope this makes things a bit clear. Please do keep in mind that the idea behind this website is not to make money, but to provide a comprehensive culture portal that includes theatre, music, visual arts, food, film, fashion and the lot.
In view of this, only a token copywriting amount to cover production expenses is charged for all content, as opposed to a real advertising rate. If you’d like to know more about this, get in touch. The idea is to bring together a like-minded crowd of readers and cultural practitioners.
So, should any writers wish to contribute interviews or reviews, do get in touch. Although the website is not yet in a position to offer payments, complimentary tickets tend to be made available.
As for culture practitioners who wish to book sponsored content in the form of an interview or a feature, do get in touch! My past culture reports have been awarded the Institute of Maltese Journalists’ Award for Cultural Journalism, and I will be happy to use my experience to help you showcase your project or event.