Princess Diana report: A good day to bury bad news

Was the government using the cover of the Diana report to shove out all sorts of news that might have been more damaging on a less heavy news day?

Of course.

But any communications professional who did not try to ensure that bad news coincided with a lengthy news agenda should be fired. What made Jo Moore's email ("today might be a good day to bury bad news") so tasteless was the suggestion that there could be anything "good" about 9/11, the use of the term "bury" and the apparent preoccupation with minor political considerations at a time of tragedy.

None of these considerations applied yesterday.

Comments

[John Hirst]

Could well be. Had it not been for Southern Counties Radio, phoning me up on my mobile for an interview, I might have missed the Prisoners voting rights consultation paper issued by the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer of Thoroton. Another dodgy document!

If you don't mind me saying this, Charlie, I think it was a bad move going to the electorate on this vote of confidence in the government. The House of Cards is falling down. What a wonderful thing democracy is. I have brought down the government, and I could not have succeeded without your assistance.

[Gabor Kovacs]

It's funny isn't it. Because of Jo Moore and "the Grid", we all get cynical about this. But New Labour have brought that cynicism upon themselves.

[Adam Neilson]

The Post Office announcement riled me, mostly because the BBC used a 3-minute lull in their coverage of all the 'Diana' press conferences to ask the minister whether the news of branch closures was released to coincide with the release of report. He denied it, upon which the Beeb returned to blanket coverage of Diana / interviews with Andrew Motion etc.. it's all very well for the media to whinge about the practice, but in fact they are fully complicit in it.

[David Boothroyd]

One should not forget, when referring to Jo Moore's email, that when it was sent both towers of the World Trade Center were still standing.