D5 `TO u[ran
From : Mike Williams-Thompson, G. L!. Richards, the Rev. Harold S. Goodwin, W. M. Newte, Kenneth A llsop, Gwynfor Evans. Frederick Jellinek, Alastair Leslie and Piers Dixon, Christopher I. Green. George Booth, IL E. Turner.
The Franks Commission
SIR.--While I know it is a popular pastime of the uninitiated to side-swipe public relations people, whenever possible. I really must protest against Dr Bryan Wilson's opening remarks in his article on the Franks Report (May 13).
Since my company went out of its way to make the public relations presentation of the report abso- lutely straightforward, I would like to know where the 'ballyhoo or gimmickry' came in. or where the presentation attempted to mislead. Indeed, as he should know, education writers were given advance copies of the report and a briefing lunch to enable them to know the contents before questioning Lord Franks at the press conference. If, of course, he means the press and television coverage which the report received, this surely reflects the interest that editors believe their readers have in the university.
Perhaps, in the cloistered fastness of All Souls, Dr Wilson has not realised that Oxford's future matters as much to the nation as to its inhabitantsu In fact, it matters so much that no one would need or wish to debase it with ballyhoo or gimmickry.
MIKE WILLIAMS-THOMPSON
Sidney-Barton Limited, Field House, 15-25 Breams Buildings, London, EC4
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