Whiteout - Ken Follett [24]
Stanley was thinking the same thing. “Cynthia, I want you to work with Toni on this,” he said. “She has experience of the media from her time with the police.”
Cynthia looked relieved and grateful. “Have you?”
“I did a year in the press office—although I never dealt with anything this bad.”
“What do you think we should do?”
“Well.” Toni did not feel she was qualified to take charge, but this was an emergency, and it seemed she was the best candidate available. She went back to first principles. “There’s a simple rule for dealing with the media.” It might be too simple for this situation, she thought, but she did not say so. “One, decide what your message is. Two, make sure it’s true, so that you’ll never have to go back on it. Three, keep saying it over and over again.”
“Hmm.” Stanley looked skeptical, but he did not seem to have a better suggestion.
Cynthia said, “Don’t you think we should apologize?”
“No,” Toni said quickly. “It will be interpreted as confirmation that we’ve been careless. That’s not true. Nobody’s perfect, but our security is top-notch.”
Stanley said, “Is that our message?”
“I don’t think so. Too defensive.” Toni thought for a moment. “We should start by saying that we’re doing work here which is vital for the future of the human race. No, that’s too apocalyptic. We’re doing medical research that will save lives—that’s better. And it has its hazards, but our security is as tight as mortal beings can make it. One thing certain is that many people will die unnecessarily if we stop.”
“I like that,” said Stanley.
“Is it true?” Toni asked.
“No question. Every year a new virus comes out of China and kills thousands. Our drug will save their lives.”
Toni nodded. “That’s perfect. Simple and telling.”
Stanley was still worried. “How will we get the message across?”
“I think you should call a press conference in a couple of hours’ time. By midday the news desks will be looking for a fresh angle on the story, so they’ll be glad to get something more from us. And most of these people outside will leave once that’s happened. They’ll know that further developments are unlikely, and they want to go home for Christmas like everyone else.”
“I hope you’re right,” Stanley said. “Cynthia, will you make the arrangements, please?”
Cynthia had not yet recovered her composure. “But what should I do?”
Toni took over. “We’ll hold the press conference in the Great Hall. It’s the only room big enough, and the chairs are already being set out for Professor Oxenford’s address to the staff at half past nine. The first thing you should do is alert the people outside. It will give them something to tell their editors, and might calm them down a bit. Then phone the Press Association and Reuters and ask them to put it on the wire, to inform any of the media who aren’t already here.”
“Right,” Cynthia said uncertainly. “Right.” She turned to go. Toni made a mental note to check on her as soon as possible.
As Cynthia left, Dorothy buzzed Stanley and said, “Laurence Mahoney from the United States embassy in London is on line one.”
“I remember him,” Toni said. “He was here a few months ago. I showed him around.” The U.S. military was financing much of Oxenford Medical’s research. The Department of Defense was keenly interested in Stanley’s new antiviral drug, which promised to be a powerful counter to biological warfare. Stanley had needed to raise money for the prolonged testing process, and the American government had been eager to invest. Mahoney kept an eye on things on behalf of the Defense Department.
“Just a minute, Dorothy.” Stanley did not pick up the phone. He said to Toni, “Mahoney is more important