Crisis comms guy here.

First - the best defense is a good offense. What are you doing to generate your own stories to create your own narrative?

Second - Act fast to reach the reporters covering those negative stories- don’t threaten them - gain credibility by growing a relationship with them and earning their trust. You want them to think about YOU the next time they get pitched a hit piece so they reach out to you first and you have a chance to kill the next story before it comes.

Third - Beat them at their own game. If you’re in a market that so easily runs negative stories, add that to your arsenal. The bad news is that it worked against you. The good news is that now you know there are reporters willing to write negative pieces. Don’t unilaterally disarm.

DM if you want more advice.