Discuss the reasons why a writer should,or should not; include an apology when using the direct format for a negative news message.

Should you apologize when delivering bad news? The answer isn't quite as simple as one might think,partly because the notion of apology is hard to pin down.To some people,it simply means an expression of sympathy that something negative has happened to another person.At the other extreme,it means admitting fault and taking responsibility for specific compensations or corrections to atone for the mistake.Some experts contend that a company should never apologize,even when it knows it has made a mistake,as the apology might be taken as a confession of guilt that could be used against the company in a lawsuit.However,several states have laws that specifically prevent expressions of sympathy from being used as evidence of legal liability.The best general advice in the event of a mistake or accident is to immediately and sincerely express sympathy and offer help,if appropriate,without admitting guilt; then seek the advice of your company's lawyers before elaborating.If you do apologize,make it a real apology.Don't say "I'm sorry if anyone was offended" by what you did-this statement implies that you're not sorry at all and that it's the other party's fault for being offended.For example,when Target's information systems were infiltrated in a hacking attack that exposed the personal data of tens of millions of customers,CEO Gregg Steinhafel's apology to customers included the statement,"I know this breach has had a real impact on you,creating a great deal of confusion and frustration." Note that he did not say "if this breach caused you any confusion or frustration." Recognize that you can express sympathy with someone's plight without suggesting that you are to blame.For example,if a business customer damaged a product through misuse and suffered a financial loss as a result of not being able to use the product,you can say something along the lines of "I'm sorry to hear of your difficulties." This demonstrates sensitivity without accepting blame.