It's a tough call.
Initially, I felt they should have gone guns blazing. But the more I thought about it, the more I understood why they didn't.
Mounting a huge pushback campaign before or during the broadcast would have literally drawn many more to watch the source content (LN) to "see what the fuss is all about." It'd almost have been promotion for HBO. So it was smart being somewhat quiet.
Then there's the odd climate we're in. #MeToo and trial by social media. We literally live in a time when one can say anything and it automatically happened just because they said it. I'm such a supporter of people speaking up about things previous eras may have made difficult, but statistically and empirically not every single claim is truth. Still, even if people are rightly side-eyeing these accusers, destroying them in an obvious way is too old school an approach and runs risk of some people looking at it as re-victimising the "victim". It's just not good for optics.
So , I think the Estate done the following well already:
* Taking a generally quiet approach publicly (limits the convo)
* Limiting exposure to LN for fans with the concert streams (keeps up positivity and focus on why we love him)
* Suing HBO (shows sufficient awareness of the threat LN poses to his legacy and is a chest-out move to show "we will clap back")
* I also feel/assume that they have involvement in carting out Taj on the media rounds. Also, knowing how media-buys work, I wouldn't be surprised if they had a hand in the helping with the bus ads. But that part is just a guess.
Onto what they should do:
1) Some kind of rebuttal doc. I've gone back and forth about this in my mind because it too extends the narrative about something that could well blow over. But leaving things as is is risky. Because we presently don't have the foresight to see where the pendulum of public opinion on MJ will land once LN is a distant memory. It didn't do anything ratings wise, but the discourse surrounding it wasn't good at all. So they need to produce something and land fairly big, global distribution for it (Netflix?).
Furthermore, it needs to be Estate-endorsed (meaning go heavy on the official music, videos, and performance footage, so as to remind people why they love him) and have a clear innocent agenda. I also feel it best if it's framed by a independent entity like a Spike Lee or another critically celebrated director. Who, unlike Dan Reed, understands the necessity of telling a balanced story even when pushing a specific agenda (in this case Michael's innocence).
So Taj's doc ought to emerge as another supporting doc to the main Estate one (more the merrier). Or if they team up to do it together, he should be behind it but not necessarily at the forefront. Because some will just stress the fact he's a Jackson and dilute all the receipts he'll bring with "oh he has an agenda" or "he would say that"
Lastly on the doc front, I actually think they should take their time with it and strategically drop it during a quieter window. Dropping it anytime soon-soon just relates it back to LN which is still to air in many international markets. We don't want the promotional push for the rebuttal doc to be the Cat and Mouse that has the promo for LN. I.e. Dan n co hitting up one platform, with the Jackson's following the next day. It needs to be standalone project and one that is pushed heavily. The have the means go above and beyond with the media push too. Billboards, ads, everything.
2) Use the media in a slow and steady capacity to reshape the perception of Wade and co aka seed stories on the TMZ's etc. Again, going guns blazing now wouldn't be wise and only promotes LN. But doing so when Wade and co aren't on the media trail is best bet.