After a week of less-than-favorable headlines, Harold Ford Jr. is starting to hit back –taking to his blog to refute bad news stories.

Under the headline “setting the record straight,” Ford’s blog is now doing media critiquing — noting stories that were later corrected, or which he claims aren’t accurate, on his haroldfornewyork.blogspot.com site, a free and “unofficial” blog maintained by a longtime friend.

Unlike other posts that are either media clips about the former congressman – or self-written items about his travels — this one is in the third person.

It’s a level of direct engagement aimed at not being defined, at a time when voters are just starting to get to know him.

Ford has told people he will make a decision about running by the end of the month.