There are many cardinal sins in communications strategy, but one of the biggies is to get everyone wound up over a crisis that turns out to be nothing. I did this in the early years of my career (which is to say, up until, oh, Tuesday last).

Most offices have at least one person who does this regularly, and that person tends to get nudged gently down toward the soundproof end of the corridor. Over the years, their look of imminent panic softens into morose despair; they become accustomed to being the unheeded voice of sanity, and even begin to savour the role of She or He Who Cries Wolf.

Until the day they’re right…