Friday, September 29, 2006

Great Moments in Dullness

A friend of mine once hypothesized that the editors of the Financial Times had instructions to write the dullest headlines they possibly could - and then find a way to make them a little duller still. This story is not quite a triumph of that sort of work, but it counts as an ingenious alternative.

OLDEST PROFESSION HELPS BOOST GREEK NATIONAL OUTPUT BY 25%.

The story continues:

Greece suddenly found itself 25% richer yesterday after a surprise upward revision of its gross domestic product, the fruit of a change to national accounts designed to capture better a fast-growing service sector - including parts of the black economy such as prostitution and money laundering. 

The country's newfound wealth raised eyebrows in Brussels, because it means that Greece will find it easier  to bring its budget deficit below the European Union's 3 % of GDP ceiling.

In other words, the FT reporters have transformed a large and shocking story about an EU member government engaged in sordid accounting tricks to evade its treaty commitments and financial obligations into a light-hearted, empty-headed little "brite" about Greek prostitues. Well done, chaps! 

09/29 06:44 AM