The government's view is that the best time to announce bad news, news that it doesn't want the public to dwell on is late on a Friday, when it will wind up in the Saturday papers, which if you were readers, then the week day editions. A holiday weekend is even better.

Summary

This quote suggests that governments strategically choose specific timings to announce unpleasant or unfavorable information to the public. It states that officials prefer making such announcements late on a Friday, as it is more likely to get minimal attention in Saturday newspapers and subsequent weekday editions. Additionally, the timing is deemed even more advantageous if it coincides with a holiday weekend, when public focus is typically diverted away from current affairs. This practice indicates a deliberate attempt by the government to minimize public consumption and scrutiny of undesirable news.

Topics