News/Journalism Project, BP Oil Spill

News/Journalism Project – BP Oil Spill

Jessica Roller, Thom Flynn, John Hundertmark, Chris Unger, Katy Nordhagen, Josh Harrisville

BBC - International News (John)

In order to get an all around look at the news coverage of the BP oil spill, I researched stories done by  the BBC.  This should give us a better idea of how the news was told where BP originated, and help point out key differences in how this story was reported.  On the BBC website there are over two hundred stories about the BP oil spill, so I looked for the main news reports for when it first happened, when it was sealed, and major predictions about how long the cleanup will take.  The first story I read was, "Environmental fears over US spill".  In this article the oil spill wasn't called the "BP oil spill" instead it was about a "BP-leased rig” implying that BP was just paying the bills, while Deepwater Horizon, who was running the rig, would most likely be to blame, even though at this point the cause was not yet determined.
After reading many more articles on the oil spill, the BBC articles had a consistent theme.  The articles all said that BP knew that it would be financially responsible for the damages for the oil spill, and that they would be paying for the damages and everything would be fine.  The articles were structured in a way that seemed to tell the general public not to worry about the oil spill with a condescending "it is being taken care of" mentality.  There were many quotes from BP spokesmen saying that everything would be taken care of, people who lost money will be compensated, all of the frustration from not being able to seal the well was being felt by BP too.  The feeling received is that the BBC was trying to not take sides on the story, and to just present the facts, however there were certain parts that felt like they were taking BP's side.   This reminded me of how the media, government and corporations affect how the BBC was reporting on the BP oil spill, since this is the exact predicament Chomsky and Herman discussed.  The media seemed to go easy on a huge corporation to benefit both BP and the British economy.  Since BP is such a large company, if it were to suddenly loose the investors trust the British economy would be affected by such a large economic shift.  Also, by watching some interviews that were broadcast on a BBC channel where some people were saying that the US Government, and specifically "Mr. Obama" (not President) was being prejudice against the British people for the oil spill.  This was very quickly countered by another person who was interviewed, but it still showed that some of the media was trying to project to the general public that the US should take a step back and not be as upset about the oil spill.

MSNBC - National News (Chris)

This first article is from msnbc.com right after the disaster (June 6, 2010, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37455902/ns/business-oil_and_energy/t/bp-can-take-financial-hit-spill/#.TrQxXE_c8do ) positioning the reader in a very specific way. This news agency calls BP a “rich” company. Using the word “rich” is a very careful word choice. If the person writing the headline were actually concerned with BP’s best interests, or the performance of the company the writer probably would have used something more sympathetic along the lines of “BP is Strong Enough to take Financial Hit” or something else that proves the company to be resilient in the face of this disaster. But the headline writer used rich. With the word “rich” there comes a lot of imagery; fat cats, millionaires, maybe even the Monopoly man, but it does not inspire imagery of confidence or the idea that this company is looking out for other peoples’ (and the environment’s) best interests. The headline, along with the sub-header that says BP has “deep pockets” also suggests that BP is such a massive company that even though they are wreaking havoc for millions of people, they are so big that they can simply throw money at the problem and still have plenty of cash left to make a tidy profit. “Rich” and “deep pockets” are terms that seem to be more negative expressions. It certainly doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy toward BP.
This second article, from October 27, 2011 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45063512#.TrYx9E_c8do) uses another very strong word, “pain.” By using “pain” in the headline, there is a lot being said. There is suffering happening, and it is the people in the shrimp industry that are being hurt. In the context of tough economic times, BP is put in an even more terrible light for inflicting pain on good, hard-working people (small businesses). This news source is drawing a direct line from BP to an entire industry being weakened.
The third article here (October 25, 2011, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45027028#.TraXNk_c8do) falls in line with the first. When placed next to each other it is almost as if the article from over a year ago foretells the second one. BP “sees” a profit rise because that’s exactly what it has been looking for. The company is presented as a cold, heartless, moneymaking machine that only looks at dollars and figures. In the article it talks of “disposing” of assets, which sounds like these assets, which mean jobs for many people, are being tossed away like some unnecessary piece of trash.
The overarching story here is that MSNBC is presenting BP as the ultimate example of a heartless oil company. They are only out to make money and they don’t really care about the negative impact they are creating because they have so much money to throw at the problem. This news outlet accomplishes this through their careful word choices that evoke strong negative images toward the oil company and strong sympathy for the victims. I think what MSNBC is trying to do with this kind of coverage is to expose how commodified every aspect of life has become. A destroyed life can now be paid for with millions of dollars. MSNBC is not interested in the oil company’s side of the story, they are primarily interested in the huge financial toll this disaster is taking on hard-working Americans in an already difficult time.

Fox News - National (Josh)

For my part of the project I chose to follow the BP oil spill through the media machine FOX news. I felt FOX news is a particularly good source because of its presumed association with the Republican political party. To give some background FOX news is part of the multi-national news conglomeration News Corporation, which is headed by multi billionaire Rupert Murdock. Rupert Murdock is known for opposing liberal bias media machines and mostly for his lobbying and funding for republican campaigns. From the petty research I have done Mr. Murdock has expressed some support for the Obama campaign, but holds apprehension on whether or not his foreign and domestic actions will reflect his spoken agenda. From this one can already see a subject position taken place. One of my articles that I followed largely focused on and criticized the government’s involvement in selecting what information can and cannot be released to the public. The article was released March of 2011 about a year after the spill occurred. It explains the discourse of what information was present to give to the public and what was allowed by the Obama administration. This can be looked at in a Ranke’s objective method, because what was reported was put through a sort of selection process by President Obama and/or his affiliates. The news source’s agenda decides how an image, article, or video is released to the public. However, what I found most interesting about this is how FOX has reported this selection process. As I stated earlier FOX is notorious for their conservative affiliation. This article only reports on the lack of information given to the public, which can be seen as a conservative entity reporting and criticizing a liberal government. This article largely uses quotes that express frustration from primary sources like the coast guard on the issue. For example, FOX references a primary report stating, "Because the Coast Guard was severely restricted in its ability to distribute timely, accurate information, it was perceived by some that the Federal Government was purposely withholding information pertaining to the incident from the American public."  This type of reference gives the reader the position he or she must take. It largely pushes toward a perspective that goes against the Obama administration. The article doesn’t adequately provide strict facts of what kind of information was withheld but just how individuals on the forefront felt about it, therefore imposing their emotions and thoughts on the reader.

The Times Picayune - Local (Thom)

“Stop spOILing our natural heritage!”  This quote comes from a sign in New Orleans that a protester made to vent his frustration toward BP. The oil spill began April 20th, 2010 when an Oil Rig exploded and ended July 15th, 2010. The end of this oil spill simply meant no more oil was forcing its way into the gulf, but the hardships of the local community will be felt for generations to come. The BP oil spill had a negative effect on the world, but only those who were directly impacted saw the true hardships. The newspaper that we decided to use was The Times Picayune, which is a New Orleans local newspaper. We decided to use this newspaper because it gave us a local viewpoint from an area directly affected by the oil spill.
The quote above (“Stop spOILing our natural heritage!”) shows that the BP oil spill changed the people’s way of life. The newspapers used this quote in their article because the readers can relate to this angry resident and sums up how many people feel. The New Orleans residents feel that their fishing industry, tourist industry, beaches, wetlands, and beautiful views were all ruined. Life for those on the gulf completely turned upside down, and the newspapers printed these types of articles to spread these viewpoints. The local newspapers tried to capture this local frustration as a way of protest and a way of comfort. The newspapers kept up with the oil spill stories by typing up every event; they wanted the local residents to be informed at how this spill will affect their community. Obviously, there is no positive aspect of the oil spill, but even if there was, the local newspapers probably wouldn’t report on it.  The newspapers want people to buy their papers so they report what people want to hear.  The people are miserable and want to read articles that reflect their outrage so they know they are not alone.  The local newspapers know that more papers will be sold if they direct stories about hatred toward BP and how life has changed because of the spill.  The people suffering do not want to hear about how the country is struggling because they are not experiencing the full impact of the disaster.
An article from The Times Picayune titled “BP oil spill’s health effects will be felt for generations, scientists warn,” explained that locals who have been exposed to the hazardous materials will have a higher amount of chemicals such as benzene, ethylbenzene and Xylene in their blood. These chemicals are tremendously harmful to the body. These chemicals can be disastrous for the people of the gulf as well for the wildlife for many years to come. The concern is especially for those who volunteered to help clean the oil from beaches and from the water. This article was printed to get the warning out to the locals that they may be in danger. The newspaper wanted people to connect their frustrations with BP’s lack of progress with possible health risks. As the spill continued, the risk of exposure grew. When a warning like this pertains to local communities, newspaper sales skyrocket because of people’s worrying minds.
Local newspapers wanted to get the information out to their readers on health scares, wildlife, and frustrations with BP because this is what the people are interested in. If they print these local issues, then they will make a profit. Locals want their newspapers to be a way for people to vent their frustration, comfort their concerns, and learn of news regarding the spill that will affect their community. The Times Picayune prints issues that locals can relate to and that will affect them directly because this is what people want to read and it will lead to a profit. The single story concept of the local newspaper is that they focus on the little picture of personal stories instead of the big picture such as whose fault this is.

The picture below shows a display that a man made in his front yard expressing his concern for the natural world of the Gulf of Mexico. This picture was in a local newspaper and shows the concern that people have in their local community. This photo was pictured as a way for people to relate to others frustrations and sadness driven by this spill. When locals saw this picture, they knew that as a community, people are struggling with the fact that they their lives are going to change forever; this lets everyone know they are not alone in their feelings.

Alternative News (Katy)

Alternative news sources iincluding everyday people, comedians, and even artists, it is seen where these groups stand when it comes to the events in the world.  The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is an event which kept the news and the people buzzing.  By looking into alternative news sources that may not always be viewed as forums to receive news, one can see a position taken along with another angle on events.
While looking into Comedy Central as a news outlet, it is seen that the main goal of these various means of news coverage is comedic relief.  Writers and comedians take events in the news and place their own spin on the events.  The comedian Lewis Black puts his spin on the spill in one of his segments of his stand up titled Suck on This (http://comedians.jokes.com/lewis-black/videos/lewis-black---exclusive---suck-on-this/). Through this segment, he calls out Americans for not being angry enough about the events, while also calling out the situation.  This is very similar to what Steven Colbert and Jon Stewart do on The Colbert Report (http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/350668/august-19-2010/all-s-well-that-ends-oil-well---michael-blum) and The Daily Show (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-4-2010/moment-of-zen---bp-doesn-t-care).  Both comedians continually cover the story of the spill and call out what is happening and what is being said about those events.  South Park is another source that does this same kind of work with current events.  In their episode on the oil spill in the Gulf, the main subject was BP CEO, Tony Hayward (http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/360436/were-sorry).  In the episode, they point out his lack of concern for the events that he was involved in, along with the continual catastrophe that the oil spill was creating.  What is seen by looking into Comedy Central as a news source is that there is another side to what was being said about the oil spill.  Citizens were tired of the negativity and anger about the lack of action being taken.  Comedy Central was a voice to the people and for the people.  Individuals need to be able to laugh in times of struggle, even about the struggle, and Comedy Central provided that laughter.
Another news source that would not be seen as a conventional source for new is the blog site, Tumblr.  Tumblr is a place for anyone to create a profile and blog and re-blog what they like. When it came to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, many posts showed images that would not be seen in any traditional news source (http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/12014423651/1/tumblr_ltpsvmAX3A1r4fs4p).  There were many posts of animals covered in oil and of the effect that the spill was having on the Gulf.  Other posts were about Tony Hayward and how poorly he was handling the situation. Tumblr being seen as a news source is looking straight into what the people care about.  Everyday people use this site as a forum to express their feelings toward events in the world, and the gulf was no exception.  Many posts displayed anger toward the lack of action as was seen in Comedy Central’s coverage.  The environmental repercussions of the spill was a focus of many posts.  Through the eyes of the people, the spill was not being handled well and there was not enough being done to save the environment that we hold dear.
The final alternative news source that I looked into was that of the artist.  There were musicians that banned together to create a CD titled Gasoline Rainbows whose proceeds would go toward efforts to clean up the Gulf.  The one song that stuck out from this album was written and recorded specifically for this album and cause.  “At the Bird’s Foot” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5icSscIXmk) is a song performed by Dallas Green of City and Colour whose lyrics give a look into the spill that many were feeling at the time of its being recorded.  The song describes, “a fire burning in the ocean,” all for greed and the men who died as a result of this act of greed.  This song takes a position which wasn’t one taken by the more traditional news sources.  “At the Bird’s Foot” calls out the greed behind the event and brings out how painful and unnecessary the 11 human deaths were.
There is a common thread strung through all of these alternative news sources.  This thread is the people.  The people of America and their feelings at the time along with what they wanted and needed to hear.  Many of these examples are emotional, which is just what the people of America needed in this time of crisis.  The emotion of the people was able to be brought forward through these various sources for news.  Comedy Central and their take on the events is one that was much needed by the American people because they helped the people laugh in a time of much negativity in the news.  Tumblr was a way for people to post how they were feeling at the time without any restrictions.  Music is something that always manages to reflect the events and struggles of a time, and the spill was no exception.
Not only were the traditional news sources buzzing about the events of the spill, but the people were also.  This look into alternative news outlets gives a different perspective on the events of the spill.  Since none of these sources are tied down by motivations in business or profits, they are able to put their true feelings out there for the people of America to see.  These sources are able to go against Herman and Chomsky’s theory because of this lack of ties.  This lack of ties also allows for various modes of representation that stray away from the traditional, giving us that different angle on the spill.  Being able to see the people’s side of an issue is crucial to understanding any tragedy, and the alternative news sources give us this view on the BP oil spill.

The Onion - Alternative News (Jess)
 

The Onion is a satirical, untrue newspaper with a national print circulation of 400,000, and 61% of their website readers are between the ages of 18 and 44.  We chose to include The Onion in our News/Journalism project because it is a popular newspaper on college campuses and among our friends and classmates and is often used as a primary news source for this group.
In the first article I found about the BP oil spill in The Onion, they jump right into the story, they don’t give any background to the issue.  In other words, they must be assuming you have heard about it before, that you have the true news and facts about the event, and that you are looking purely for some humor.  This particular article is calling attention to the fact that BP is a major corporation, and that they are committed to continuing to be a stereotypical Global 500 company (they are actually number 4!).  The article depicts the stereotype about big corporations – they don’t care about the “little people,” and they are only concerned with money and success.  The article also falsely quotes the BP spokesperson, saying that this “horrific oil spill will not, even for a moment, stop us from pursuing unspeakably massive profits.  We are even now working around the clock to make this historic PR disaster as painless for us as possible.”  This plays on the idea, again, that big corporations don’t really care about the little people, they are fairly insignificant and BP is only concerned with making sure their butts are covered.  The article again quotes the spokesperson saying that neither their terrible errors of the past, nor their inevitable errors of the future will affect their mission of acquiring fortunes.
The next article from The Onion contains an image(below) that was very strategically taken and chosen.  Because The Onion is trying their absolute best to make BP look like a big, scary, mean corporation, they take and choose picture that make it look that way.  Of course they could have taken a picture from further away, where the building looked like all the other buildings in the area, and you could see the whole thing.  But instead they chose this picture, where the building looks like it’s towering over you and could smash you at any instant.  In addition, if you look at it long enough, it can almost look like it is falling on you.  Also, having the BP symbol so big, and almost distorted because of its size and angle could make the audience feel threatened and scared of this company that they get gas from all the time.

This article then goes on to refer to both the oil in the ocean and the words/excuses the BP executives are claiming as “bullshit.”  They are saying that their words could be just as damaging as the oil in the ocean.
In the next article, The Onion criticizes Obama for visiting the Gulf and not doing anything productive.  However, because the article takes a point of view of “thanking” the president, you need to see through that and notice the sarcasm.  At one point the article says, “While at the site of the worst oil spill in US history, the president walked on a beach, looked at oil-soaked terns, and displayed the right amount of anger toward BP executives, all of which should pretty much clear up the massive environmental disaster in a matter of days.”  The reader can obviously see that The Onion is taking a sarcastic tone to the issue.
Herman and Chompsky’s hypothesis is about how the media and the government normally influence how things happen, typically in their favor.  In other words, the media will down play stories that would negatively affect themselves.  What is interesting about looking at The Onion is that because they are not a major news source, they are not tied down by being concerned about the success of companies, so they are able to say what they like.  The Onion doesn’t apply to this hypothesis because it is an untrue newspaper.  Being an untrue newspaper, they are able to report on opinions rather than facts.  Overall, The Onion takes a different approach than any other news source.  They are calling attention to the fact that BP is a major company and will think and act like major companies do.

Comparison/Summary

After looking into various media outlets and their coverage of the BP oil spill, we can see the vast differences between international, national, local, and alternative news sources.  Each of these sources had their own agendas, meaning that they sometimes leave things out or exaggerate things to make a point.
The BBC’s coverage was biased because they wanted to keep their local economy alive and thriving.  They wanted to make the oil spill seem like a much smaller problem, in order to keep the blame away from the company.   Because BP is a British company, the BBC was less critical of them.  This is one example of how history is made - making the BP oil spill seem like a minor issue may influence future generations’ view of the event.
MSNBC takes a liberal stance on the BP oil controversy. They emphasize the tragic effects of the oil spill through their word choices in the headlines on their website. These words make a maximum impact on the reader to create feelings of sympathy for the victims of the disaster and disgust with the oil giant’s handling of the situation. The focus is on the effects on the people and placing the blame on BP. This coverage showcases the failures and injustices of the current system as it stands.
Fox News presents a typical, conservative view of the disaster. They seem to focus less on how the disaster is influencing lives in the Gulf Coast and more on the so-called failures of the current president’s administration. It shows how this news organization pushes it’s political agenda by turning news stories to enforce their conservative rhetoric.
The Times Picayune focuses on the local issues of the spill. The articles they printed were all about issues that locals can relate to like hazardous chemicals, peoples frustrations, and how the spill has and will affect their lives. This newspaper did not mention national issues such as rising gas prices and how BP is losing money. People are first interested in what will happen to their town and how the spill will shape their lives for many years.
Alternative news sources take a stance for the people of America.  Comedians send relief from the immense negativity in traditional news.  Tumblr provides a forum for the people to directly post their feelings towards the events of the spill.  Music is a medium from which feelings can be expressed, and this is held true for the spill.  By looking into these sources, we are able to see the feelings of the people directly.
The Onion takes a completely new stance on the BP oil spill.  The agenda of The Onion is not in line with any of the other sources we looked at, and gives a new perspective to the readers.  Not only humor, but also being able to rip on the BP executives without any negative repercussions allows them to say whatever they want and make things up to exaggerate their point.
As we can see, each news outlet provides us with various representations of this catostrophic event.  Each news station allows its’ audience to “read” the situation differently. The outlets’ main focus is to make a profit, so they all print articles in accordance with their audiences’ wants. As Herman and Chompsky’s hypothesis claims, news corporations can be swayed by the government, and by looking at different news outlets we can see that some are swayed in different ways.  History is made based on what is reported in the news, because this is the information the public receives and remembers.