Public Address Word of the Year 2020: Doomscrolling • Hard News • Public Address

<!doctype html> <html lang="en" class="no-js"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=0.96" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/public-address-word-of-the-year-2020-doomscrolling/" /> <meta property="og:image" content="/static/img/publicaddress-logo.png?k=1b4bab4db5" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Public Address RSS Feed" href="/all.rss" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/public-address-word-of-the-year-2020-doomscrolling/"> <link rel="shortlink" href="https://pubadr.es/e6a59376-1ffd-4e94-bda8-9e896bd4a719"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/static/img/favicon/favicon.ico?k=1b4bab4db5"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/static/img/favicon/apple-touch-icon.png?k=1b4bab4db5"> <link rel="mask-icon" href="/static/img/favicon/safari-pinned-tab.svg?k=1b4bab4db5" color="#556766"> <link href="/css/c.css?set=css&v=1712884442000" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all"/> <link href="/css/c.css?set=css-layout&v=1712884442000" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all"/> <link href="/css/c.css?set=css-handheld&v=1712884442000" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="handheld"/> <link href="/css/c.css?set=css-print&v=1712884442000" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="print"/>    <script src="/static/runtime.1c2f96bd.js?k=1b4bab4db5"></script><link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/head.min.c4435313.css?k=1b4bab4db5" /><script src="/static/head.min.5ba2f511.js?k=1b4bab4db5"></script> <title>Public Address Word of the Year 2020: Doomscrolling • Hard News • Public Address</title> <script src="/js/c.js?set=js&v=1712884442000" ></script> <script src="/static/js/typekit.js?k=1b4bab4db5"></script> <link href="/global.css?mod=20240414154549" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all"/> <link href="/css/c.css?set=css-blog&v=1712884442000" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all"/> <link href="/hardnews.css?mod=20240412130233" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all"/> <meta name="author" content="Russell Brown"> <script type="text/javascript"> $('#currentPageLink').val(location.pathname); var baseUrl = "/system"; </script> <script src="/static/system/js/forum.js?k=1b4bab4db5" type="text/javascript"></script> <script>var siteroot = "/";var csrf = "BTaiHyh0EPocTJff";</script> <script src="/js/c.js?set=js-header&v=1712884442000"></script> </head> <body class=" "> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/c.js?set=osdetect&v=1712884442000" ></script> <div id="container" class="blog"> <header id="title" class="header"> <div class="header-content"> <a id="logo" href="/">Public Address, a community of blogs</a> </div> <a href="/hardnews/"><h1>Hard News <em>by Russell Brown</em></h1></a> </header> <div id="main" class="tk hfeed"> <article class="hentry hardnews" id="poste6a59376-1ffd-4e94-bda8-9e896bd4a719"> <header> <div class="meta"> <time datetime="2020-12-21T08:00:00+1300" class="published updated" pubdate>8:00 Dec 21, 2020</time> <a class="icon comments" href="/hardnews/public-address-word-of-the-year-2020-doomscrolling/#comments" title="2 responses">2</a> </div> <h3 class="entry-title"><a href="/hardnews/public-address-word-of-the-year-2020-doomscrolling/">Public Address Word of the Year 2020: Doomscrolling</a></h3> </header> <div class="entry-content prettify"> <p>The Public Address Word of the Year 2020 is "doomscrolling", which narrowly beat out "bubble". But in a shocking turn of events, Public Address founder Russell Brown was unable to complete his traditional mock press release announcing the results of the vote.</p> <p>"There has just been far too much 2020," Brown told reporters, "and quite frankly, it's used up my sense of irony. I'm at a point where I can't even do sarcasm, let alone satire. I mean, how do you even start to process that?"</p> <p>After his brief remarks to journalists, Brown excused himself, explaining that "I just need to go and check Sweden's daily case numbers. Well, that and make sure Trump hasn't pulled another fully depraved stunt since I checked an hour ago. There's probably a new existential climate threat too – it's important to keep up with those and stare impotently at the screen for a while before breaking free and tweeting about Baby Yoda or some shit."</p> <p>Brown did leave a brief statement confirming the Top 10 Words voted by readers were:</p> <p>1. Doomscrolling</p> <p>2. Bubble</p> <p>3. #NZHellhole</p> <p>4. Covid-19</p> <p>5. You're on mute</p> <p>6. Lockdown</p> <p>7. Covidiot</p> <p>8. Unprecedented</p> <p>9. Bloomfield</p> <p>10. Go hard, go early</p> <p>The statement also confirmed that the winners of amazing <a href="https://www.nuraphone.com/products/nuraloop" target="_blank">Nuraloop </a>earphones are Andrew Carr and ChrisB, who should get in touch if they have not already been contacted.</p> <p>Brown's family said he was improving on a new diet of pre-lockdown <em>Antiques Roadshow</em> episodes and a high-potency supplement of seasons of <em>Two Fat Ladies</em>.</p> </div> <footer> <div class="meta"> <a class="icon comments" href="/hardnews/public-address-word-of-the-year-2020-doomscrolling/#comments">2 responses</a> <a class="icon share" href="#">Share</a> <ul class="share-options"> <li><input type="text" class="shortlink" value="https://pubadr.es/e6a59376-1ffd-4e94-bda8-9e896bd4a719"/></li> </ul> </div> </footer> </article>  <h3 class="subheading">2 responses to this post</h3> <ul class="responses" id="comments"> <li id="post384266"> <header class="response-meta"> <p> <a href="/system/profile?id=223963" class="response-author">andrew carr</a>, <small> <a href="/system/cafe/topic:5371/?p=384266#post384266" class="permalink"><time datetime="2020-12-21T17:18:39+1300" class="published updated" pubdate>17:18 Dec 21, 2020</time></a> </small> </p> </header> <div class="avatar" style="background-image:url('//www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=3d28a69ea43c6315eda0539893730399&rating=PG&size=56&default=https%3A%2F%2Fpublicaddress.net%2Fstatic%2Fsystem%2Fimg%2Favatar.png&border=')"></div> <div class="response-content"> <p>wahoo!<br />have made several contact approaches – not sure if they are getting through as my ‘old’ account was with a now-defunct email address.<br />have re-registered</p> </div> <p class="response-options"> <span class="author-meta"> wellington • Since Dec 2020 • 1 posts </span> <a href="/system/cafe/topic:5371/post:384266/report/" class="flag">Report</a> </p> </li> <li id="post384267"> <header class="response-meta"> <p> <a href="/system/profile?id=3911" class="response-author">Shaun Scott</a>, <small> <a href="/system/cafe/topic:5371/?p=384267#post384267" class="permalink"><time datetime="2020-12-21T21:07:50+1300" class="published updated" pubdate>21:07 Dec 21, 2020</time></a> </small> </p> </header> <div class="avatar" style="background-image:url('//www.gravatar.com/avatar.php?gravatar_id=f0472847db538f9371b5572dd9ed50b0&rating=PG&size=56&default=https%3A%2F%2Fpublicaddress.net%2Fstatic%2Fsystem%2Fimg%2Favatar.png&border=')"></div> <div class="response-content"> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/21/doomscrolling-chosen-as-new-zealand-word-of-the-year-for-2020 " target="_blank"> made it into the Guardian</a> including mention of Russell’s media standup . . .</p> </div> <p class="response-options"> <span class="author-meta"> Dunedin • Since Dec 2008 • 90 posts </span> <a href="/system/cafe/topic:5371/post:384267/report/" class="flag">Report</a> </p> </li> </ul> <footer> <div class="comment-form" id="forum-reply-5371"> <h2 id="forum-reply">Post your response…</h2> <p>This topic is closed.</p> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> var topicId = 5371; 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Public Address Word of the Year 2020: Doomscrolling • Hard News • Public Address