Embargoes and “in advance” briefings are always slightly odd at the best of times. You chat amiably with a senior member of staff, but nothing can be used until XX date. It’s a helpful thing for journalists. In this case, an “in advance” briefing with a PR person (who had to wake up at 4.30am his time to tell you that there’s a strict embargo on using the information until XX) was rather undermined by an announcement containing much of this information being posted by the same com...
