Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook apology is the linguistic equivalent of ‘shit happens’

By Annabelle Lukin, Macquarie University

A corporate apology echoes the words we are so familiar with from our everyday lives – but it is a distinct beast. It happens under the glare of media and is issued by an office holder in a complex management structure, to a mass and impersonalised audience.

And its contents may be subject to legal proceedings. It may also be couched in words which create the veneer of an apology without a detailed admission of guilt.