jimbeetle - 6:50 pm on Jun 9, 2003 (gmt 0)

>>the only way to counteract bad news on a search engine is through traditional means that you would us in a crisis communications campaign.

Think you've got it right, twright. And in cases like this the client needs a PR firm to write a good one-page blurb for the 'about us' or 'press' section with a link on the home page for folks following up what they read elsewhere. And who knows, maybe this page will be picked up by the original sites as 'another side of the story.'

Always best to face it square on, though not much an SEM can do for them.