Explain the role of a strategic buffer in a bad-news message.

Indirect messages presenting bad news often begin with a strategic buffer. By buffer, we mean an opening that identifies the subject of the message but does not indicate that negative news is coming. That is, the buffer is relevant to the topic of the message but does not indicate what the rest of the message will say about it. A buffer can be neutral or positive. A neutral buffer might simply acknowledge your receipt of the reader's earlier message and indicate your awareness of what it said. A positive buffer might thank the reader for bringing a situation to your attention or for being a valued customer or employee.