Jessica Coen writes in today's Gawker "Top Story" about one media member's reaction to Saturday night's New York City Host Committee party at the Time Warner Center, where members of the press wined, dined, and were given a batch of discounts at shops in the building. The column in question was written by the Chicago Tribune's Mary Schmich, who concludes that the worst thing that happened was, speaking as a journalist who attended, "our refusal to see it as a problem." While it's definitely amusing to talk about, I think there could absolutely be some questions about this.

The press who had come to NYC in order to cover the Republican National Convention and the surrounding events were all invited - and by all reports spanned from on-air news talent to staffers from any out-of-town pub - to this shindig hosted by Mayor Bloomberg...as a way to welcome them all to the city for the week. But the question is, is this any different than hitting the press buffet at a sporting event? Obviously the scale isn't even on the same yardstick, but you catch my drift. Are the press that buyable that a hot (and temperature is where I'm going with this) party with quality food and schmoozing could create favorable coverage for Republicans? Or is it just the illusion cast upon journalists in a case like this enough for it to look bad. All kidding aside, is it cool to go to something like this before a political convention - and if it isn't, then why is it different than attending a party at, say, the Cannes Film Festival?