Fair enough, happy to admit defeat. After some laborious research, I agree it does all come down to the definition of passenger being anyone who isn't crew.
The reporter is presumably not crew, and therefore is defined as a pax, and would not be carried unless payment was made (even though the payment is for the service not the carriage) - ergo Public Transport and AOC. Not sure the employee thing has anything to do with it though.
For those still wrestling with this can I offer the following from the CAA which certainly helped me cut through the impenetrable ANO. It's called
Summary of the Meaning of Public Transport and Aerial Work.
As far as I can see the only way for coning angel's newshound to get round the AOC requirement is for the pilot to do the reports.