Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Outlook The penny finally seems to have dropped for Thomas Cook, with Peter Fankhauser admitting his company treated badly the parents of two children who were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning on holiday in Corfu. Ironically, it was pennies that got the travel company into this mess in the first place: the firm was penny wise, pound foolish. The management was fixated on leaving no possibility of financial liability by even hinting at responsibility. But it failed to consider the financial impact of the reputational damage this strategy could bring. For Mr Fankhauser to say the company had “nothing to apologise for” at the inquest, because it had been cleared of criminal responsibility in the Greek courts, might have been legally correct – but it was a catastrophically callous tone to strike.
Worse, it betrayed a misunderstanding, on the part of Mr Fankhauser, about the nature of his own business and the source of its profits. People book through Thomas Cook in the expectation that the company has given its stamp of quality to the local third parties who provide the services.
It’s no use fighting that assumption. “You break it, you own it” is the (apocryphal) Pottery Barn rule in America. For travel companies: you take the booking, you accept some responsibility.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments