High-level access puts Reuters ahead on major Medvedev and Putin briefings

Getting in front of decision-makers is what distinguishes Reuters from its rivals. That was shown more clearly than ever when Reuters Russia expert Janet McBride, a London-based news editor, joined academics and newspaper journalists in the prestigious Valdai club that pays an annual visit to top-level Russian figures. McBride was the only agency journalist on the trip, giving Reuters clients many hours of exclusivity on interviews with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on September 11 and 12. Medvedev and Putin defended the Russian attack on Georgia, played down the damage to investor morale and said they were still determined to improve the legal and regulatory environment for business, key issues for our clients. Importantly McBride was able to give investors first-hand accounts of the tone of the two men and analyse where the balance of power lay between them.