[mountaineer]

unpaid intern working directly for Bragg - not for the paper. Yoder said that, in return, Bragg picked up the cost of his apartment in New Orleans as well as food. He said he believed the Times was aware of the unusual arrangement.

I'm sure there's a less prosaic way of describing that "unusual" relationship.

The NY Daily News describes it thus:

Yoder's unusual relationship was what he called an internship — "or volunteership."

[Vinnie]

I'm sure there's a less prosaic way of describing that "unusual" relationship.

Are you implying that their hotel supplied edible pillows? (g)