But the bigger reason was that regulators were terrified that if they imposed losses on bondholders they would cause a wave of panic across the financial system that would hit funding for all banks.

ECONOMIST: Bank bondholders

Then there is the obfuscatory nature of bureaucracies (government, businesses and the media), that hides facts for reasons both good (not wanting to cause a panic) and bad (self-interest).

FORBES: What the Japanese Government/Media Doesn't Want You to Know About the Nuclear Crisis

In The Wall Street Journal opinions section, a group of 16 scientists, including former professors and chiefs of several atmospheric research institutes, have argued boldly that global warming is no cause for panic, claiming that the mean temperature of the Earth has not changed for more than a decade.

FORBES: Global Warming Is No Threat?