What’s the upside to global pandemics? Yesterday two newspaper rabble rousers, Giles Coren at The Times and Richard Littlejohn at the Daily Mail had a go.
Littlejohn said he’s seen it all before. Coren that the coronovirus will inconvenience skiers which is a good thing on its own. And that Emma Thompson seems to be quarantined in Venice. Result.
Now, since people are actually dying, it is quite hard for corporate PR departments to be flippant about this illness.
But it is certainly true that papers are bored with saying it is all terrible and would enjoy an outbreak of optimism.
If nothing else, results statements in which CEOs cheerfully admit that their poor returns had nothing whatsoever to do with the flu would receive a warm welcome. A little honesty goes an awfully long way.
