--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have to say obviously it is not illegal…" description: "\"I have to say obviously it is not illegal for people to go to dinner and to socialise and take hospitality off members of the media organisations, but ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/tom-a-watson-62488_contact_i-have-to-say-obviously-it-is-not-illega_2374860.jpg" --- # I have to say obviously it is not illegal for people to go… ![“I have to say obviously it is not illegal for people to go to dinner and to socialise and take hospitality off members of the media organisations, but it was the scale and the timing and the frequency of contact that I thought was shocking.” quote by Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/tom-a-watson-62488_contact_i-have-to-say-obviously-it-is-not-illega_2374860.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/tom-a-watson-62488_contact_i-have-to-say-obviously-it-is-not-illega_2374860.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/tom-a-watson-62488_contact_i-have-to-say-obviously-it-is-not-illega_2374860.jpg) > “I have to say obviously it is not illegal for people to go to dinner and to socialise and take hospitality off members of the media organisations, but it was the scale and the timing and the frequency of contact that I thought was shocking.” [Tom A. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-a-watson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The pattern of frequent, well‑timed hospitality for media members raises concerns about undue influence and transparency. **In simple terms:** Frequent media hospitality can look like influence. Key Takeaway Ensure clear, transparent hospitality policies. Themes ethics politics media relations Mood cautious critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - government officials - journalists - event organizers - policy makers Key Concepts conflict of interest transparency public trust Questions to Reflect On - How can organizations balance relationship‑building with impartiality? - What safeguards prevent perceived bias? A Different Perspective Such hospitality may still be perceived as favoritism despite legality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Hospitality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hospitality/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Organisations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organisations/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Timing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/timing/) ## Related quotes > [The naked thing was short-lived. It was only around for about six months because we thought it was shocking. 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