Quote by Bernard Ingham
I sometimes compare press officers to riflemen on the Somme -- mowing down wave upon wave of distortion, taking out rank upon rank of supposition, deduction and gossip.
Summary
This quote suggests that press officers, who handle media relations, are constantly faced with the task of correcting misinformation and dispelling speculative rumors. By likening them to riflemen on the Somme, a famous battle from World War I, the quote highlights the relentless nature of their job, as they relentlessly combat a constant onslaught of distortions and conjectures. The analogy emphasizes the press officers' role in maintaining accuracy and truthfulness in the face of waves of misleading information, akin to soldiers engaging in a long, arduous battle.