PM: interesting question. IMO putting out an attack article behind a paywall is something that would be done on advice of the journalist’s counsel. Conversely it seems highly unlikely that management would be satisfied with this as a compromise. Or, candidly, that the parties you mention would communicate at all other than perhaps (and I have NO specific information to support this) the company sending a journalist or publisher a cease and desist letter putting those potential adversaries on formal notice. That is what I would have done months ago because it would help to establish an element of a potential slander claim, knowledge of falsity. Very high NYT v Sullivan standard of course.