A good day to bury bad news...

Well there’s nothing like a long-awaited royal engagement to capture the public’s attention is there?

It’s a few years ago now that a government press officer was hounded out of Whitehall for highlighting a forthcoming ‘good day to bury bad news’.

I can’t even recall what the bad news was, but the reaction was one of horror. As if a responsible government/organisation/business would do such a thing…

Well, sometimes press officers and PRs have a duty to release news that’s...well, not particularly good. And knowing how vicious the press can be, there are times when you really don’t want make the front page.

Openness and honesty are fine corporate values, but they cut both ways and sometimes you have no option other than to get on with it, and prepare yourself for the worst.

As spin doctors well know, it’s pretty rare that good news makes it onto the front pages and I’m sure the announcement of the royal engagement was carefully planned to lift the economic gloom.

And that made yesterday a very good day to bury bad news.