Yesterday’s missive said hacks, definitely including me, need to be mindful of the words they use.
A 10% fall in sales is not a crisis. At the moment, it’s probably a result. And a decline in the stock market is not a harrowing disaster. That’s care home residents being found dead and abandoned.
The point is, this is not the time to exploit the situation and it is so easy to look like you are.
I am not seeing print editions of papers so can’t be sure, but it seems to me the hacks are being more responsible than some of the flaks.
I don’t want to list the press releases, or the flaks behind them, that have landed in my inbox lately, but some of them: seriously, have a word with yourselves.
The common theme is an expert or entrepreneur warning of some other impending doom – the food supply chain collapsing, our water being infected – along with some knowing words about what should have been done. And then a product plug.
If that product really is helpful, great. Tell us about it.
Sell it half price or give it away in return for some publicity.
Otherwise: open mouth, insert sock
