Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

bad-news-good-news

idiom

/bæd nuz ɡʊd nuz/

Definition

The phrase ‘bad-news-good-news’ refers to a situation where an individual or group is presented with both negative and positive information, often in a sequential manner. It is commonly used to cushion the impact of bad news by following it with good news.

Examples

When the company announced layoffs, they also shared their new initiatives, effectively using a bad-news-good-news approach.
It’s often better to give the bad-news-good-news in a meeting rather than just drop the bad news and leave everyone anxious.

Meaning

This term often implies a strategy of communication, providing unfavorable information first, followed by more favorable information to mitigate the overall emotional effect on the recipient.