'We need a short quote'

摘要

I was recently invited to attend a media training day by our corporate affairs department, which all universities have these days. Conscripts had two things in common: we did research in controversial or sensitive areas, and we were incapable of converting profound academic insights into pithy soundbites. Our trainer was a feisty woman whose pedigree included seven years as assistant editor of a leading national tabloid newspaper. I calculated that she could have been the person who ran the front page story that was based loosely (and I do mean loosely) on a piece I had written in this column on abortion, but I thought it unwise to confront her about this.