Spokespersons

‘Spokespersons’ are people employed by large organizations — Governments, International Charities, Big Business — to make announcements to the public, usually via ‘The Media’ (newspapers, television, radio). Obviously, they need to be masters or mistresses of at least one language, and to be, like the very few schoolteachers one really liked, good at explaining things.

Until this morning, my favourite spokesperson quotation was by a lady speaking on behalf of the American Government. I can’t remember what it was she was informing the public about, but it doesn’t matter, because she said

‘We shall continue to monitor the situation and to consider appropriate action.’

Until this morning, I said. Today, a spokesperson for the United Nations, referring to relief efforts following the Nepalese earthquake, said:

‘It’s a race against a moving target.’