I suspect this is everywhere in Government. Not so much the press, but vendors seeking government contracts giving tickets, meals, vacations to officials.
Hey dude, I got a tee time at Pebble Beach. Want to play with me this Saturday?
I once held a low-level management job in retail. I had to sign off on an annual pledge that I would not accept ANY gratuity from a vendor, or I would be immediately terminated.
The assistant manager at your local Dollar General has a higher ethics standard than the FBI, it seems.