The Target retail chain is expected to suffer a serious drop in income because someone in the corporate communications office forgot a basic rule of public relations.  “Never bury the lede.”

For those of you unfamiliar with this term, the “lede” is the most important information in a news story.  It is the idea that is generally captured in the first sentence of an article or news release because it is the fact most relevant to the average reader.  Since readers skim most articles, a lede buried deep into a news story often fails to make the necessary impression.

As reported today by Forbes, Target made a costly error when it announced that hackers stole credit card data from millions of holiday season shoppers. The retailer also warned the public to take the proper precautions, which was responsible and necessary.  The fact that was buried in its news release was the chain’s elimination of the hacking problem, which means shoppers now can return to Target stores and use their credit cards with a renewed sense of security.

Following the lead of Target’s corporate announcement, most major media outlets reported the massive hacking episode, but buried information about the company’s correction of the problem.  As a result, many shoppers are likely to take their holiday business elsewhere this season, fearing that future Target purchases may compromise their credit card security.

Even the most secure financial institutions in the world face the constant threat of hacking and credit card fraud.  So Target did the right thing by immediately revealing its security breach to the public, but the retailer did itself a very expensive disservice by burying its successful resolution of the problem and failing to promptly regain the trust of its loyal shoppers.