Journalists are used to asking questions all day long. It’s what they do. They ask question after question until they get the specific answer they need or want to satisfy their editor and flesh out their story.

Here’s journalists’ dirty little secret: There are some stories, listings and round-ups, for which they’d prefer not to have to ask so many damn questions. A journalist’s Nirvana is piecing this kind of ready-made "story" together; its really great filler more than reporting, so they don't want to spend a lot of time on it.

Of course, round-ups and calendar listings occasionally seem the mainstays of restaurant press. When reporters are featuring 10 restaurants’ weekend specials for a half-page wrap-up, they don’t have time to play private eye. They are naturally going to feature the restaurants that give them the details they need to make readers salivate.

Here’s an example of what doesn’t cut it:

“XYZ Restaurant is hosting a farm-to-table dinner on Friday featuring locally sourced ingredients and beer pairings.”

If I’m a reporter, about 17 questions spring to mind, including the following: How many courses? What time? Are there seatings or is it a special menu offered all evening? What’s the appetizer? Entree? Dessert? What local farms are involved? Are the beers locally brewed? Will the brewer be on hand? Is this farm-to-table dinner going to become a regular thing? How much does it cost, and is the beer included or extra?

By this point, the reporter is exhausted just thinking about all the information she needs to write a 75-word blurb on your event. Meanwhile, seven other press releases have pinged her in-box, with richer details that don’t require sleuthing.

The bottom line: Unless you don’t want press, don’t make reporters investigate your event like it’s Watergate.