Forward...

Jeffrey--Ian will be in town tomorrow and if you have availability it might be good to see him.

I've been giving a lot of thought to the situation and to the process. I'm convinced that a disciplined approach can have a meaningful impact both short and long term.

The short term strikes me as largely a procedural issue: deal with the British tabloids and the web profile. Ian's network around the Mail and the Murdoch papers is strong and that, together with you not offering the tabloids any opportunities for coverage, ought to make them a non-issue. The web clean-up involves a search engine strategy (a rejiggering of search results through SEO and strategic content creation and replacement) and site design--you ought to have a sophisticated site representing you. This is probably a 3.4 month process.

The medium term (months 3-9) is about identifying a set of business journalists with whom you can build a friendly relationship. I actually think this is a set of people who you will enjoy and who will enjoy you. At the same time, you should be putting in place the other story. In real ways that story already exists--your support of scientific research and your international activity—it just needs a clearer structure and set of goals to hang it on. During this period, it would be good for you to become a source, both off the record and, when appropriate, on the record, for business stories for which you can offer your unique point of view.

Towards the end of the year, we can look toward one or two pieces of media that forthrightly introduce a new story line- -and perhaps confront or contextualize the old story.

I think Ian can put this plan together and execute with great finesse.

I'll be back in New York on July 5.

Best, Michael