There IS such a thing as a free lunch!
A couple of years ago, during one of our Christmas specials, Peter Smith and I did a short sketch on what it's like to be a reporter for Radio Prague. In the programme, we answered made-up questions, one of which was "with so many listeners from all over the world and different kinds of interests, how do you decide what press conference is important enough to be covered in the programme?" Our answer was simple: the one that is guaranteed to have the best refreshments. We were just joking, of course, but little did we know that there actually is a group of some twenty-five or so 'journalists' who actually go to press conferences just for the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all the other promotional freebies that are given out. And, the people concerned have even been given a name. They're called "Holub's fleet"...or should they now be called Dita's fleet?
Following the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Miroslav Holub - no, not the legendary twentieth century poet, but Miroslav Holub the journalist - unfortunately lost his job after the trade union magazine that he worked for was discontinued. He was seventy years old at the time. But instead of doing what other pensioners do, such as getting up late, going for walks, spending time at the week-end cottage, or gardening, Mr Holub preferred to continue with the press conferences. Only this time, he could be selective about them as he didn't have to write about them in any magazine. At first, his selection procedure was based on topics of interest but with time, it was the conferences offering the heartiest breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that were most attractive. The word got around and former colleagues of non-existing media started joining in and soon wives and husbands, camouflaged as freelance journalists, participated too. Hence, the name Holub's fleet.
But until about a year ago, I had no clue that Holub's fleet existed and it was only a few weeks ago that I came across an article in a weekly describing their history and the man they are named after. But Miroslav Holub died two years ago. It was then, with great horror that it occurred to me that some of the pensioned freelancers I see today could be named after another person. Me....because I, every week for the past four years and without fail, have been supplying a sweet old lady called Jana with a programme of press conferences. I honestly thought she was just a sweet old lady who gets a low pension and is forced to freelance to make ends meet. Who knows how many of Holub's fleet are Jana's friends and have been giving press conference organisers grey hairs because of me!
But, the good news for me is that every Easter, Christmas, birthday and name-day, Jana comes by with a gift-basket full of books, t-shirts, CDs and more - all the freebies from those press conferences that I did not attend.
