The Bearer of Bad News

I have always stated, “I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news but…” Revealing bad news is something I despise but have had to do more times than I would like. The other day I was at home working on one of my computers while listening to the radio when something dawned on me. A clip of the previous day’s briefing by Toronto’s medical officer of health played and I found myself getting angry.

I paused and reflected on my emotional response to hearing this person’s voice on the radio. It was then that I realized how we may be unfairly getting upset with the wrong people. These people are only doing their jobs, and their jobs require them to make decisions that are meant to save as many lives as possible.

I paused and reflected on my emotional response to hearing this person’s voice on the radio. It was then that I realized how we may be unfairly getting upset with the wrong people. These people are only doing their jobs, and their jobs require them to make decisions that are meant to save as many lives as possible. They are the bearers of bad news.

These difficult decisions they make tend to cause people to get upset. Oh no, stores will close earlier. How will I cope? After several months of hearing about restrictions or just updates of the daily toll the pandemic is having on society, we tend to build up a sort of negative connotation towards those who are tasked with revealing this information to us.

This is all psychological in nature. After dozens of press conferences where we are informed of how bad things are, we subconsciously begin to associate the bearer of bad news with negativity. It should not be surprising because there are certain figures who have become quite public since the pandemic began where every time you see their faces on television or hear their voices on the radio, they are telling you bad news. Naturally, we tend to develop a sort of resentment towards these people – an unconscious resentment.

This week I realized how difficult it must be to be in their position. They are only doing their job, but because their job entails telling the truth, they end up receiving unnecessary hate. I have heard so many negative comments from friends towards these individuals. I see the harsh comments online.

It must be difficult to appear on television almost daily to give bad news to the masses. I truly do feel bad for these people. I am thankful that they are keeping us informed and giving us advice that will help us all.

They are performing their duties as paid professionals devoid of any political affiliation. They are out there every day trying to help us understand the gravity of the situation we are in. Prior to the pandemic, most of us had never heard of nor seen these people. After 10 months, our minds now associate their names and images with the negative situation we are all living with.

We should all try to imagine ourselves in their position. These people who work tirelessly for the public will always be associated with this awful pandemic. Decades into the future, online searches for Covid-19 and Toronto or Ontario or Canada will bring up images of these people.

I am thankful for their service to the public. I look forward to the end of the pandemic when we start to hear good news from these same people. I cannot wait to hear updates informing us that infection rates are low and restrictions are being lifted. After that, our brains will begin to associate these people with good news.

Let us do our best to follow their advice and be safe. The end of the pandemic is near. Let’s just hang in there a few more months and we shall get there together.

Hats off to people such as Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Dr. Theresa Tham, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for making difficult decisions and keeping us informed. Their jobs cannot be easy and I appreciate what they are doing for our city, province, and nation respectively.