The New York Times published a fun article this weekend on the latest format used by celebrities for their apologies: the Notes app in the iPhone. Apparently part of their appeal is that they look spontaneous and personal, as opposed to the clumsy “formal apology” that was obviously written by a handler. They are also easy to post and publish. Since there seems to be no end of things for which celebrities (feel they) need to apologize, I guess it’s a good thing to find more expeditious formats to use.

My favorite part of the article is its summary of what needs to be in a good apology:

“The best Notes app statements follow the same guiding principles of any good apology: get in and get out; be direct; don’t try too hard to defend yourself; and (this is a bonus!) maybe say what you’re doing moving forward.”

So, skip the Word.doc. Start dictating in Notes. But don’t forget to proofread.