BP Controlling the Message

New York Times media columnist David Carr writes for Monday’s paper about how oil company British Petroleum continues to control the information disseminated to the media about its massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Carr writes, “So what amount of oil was coming out of that hole in the first place? We will never know, in part because our government has never gained custody of information. What is clear is that even weeks into the disaster, public information has been privatized in whole or in part. Every disaster has chaotic elements and a need to maintain order and safety, but the economic interests of a large commercial enterprise are clearly impeding the free flow of information.

“Journalists in the gulf are now dealing with a hybrid informational apparatus that does not reflect government’s legally mandated bias toward openness and transparency.

“The Coast Guard may answer the phone when reporters call the Joint Information Center set up to provide answers, but more often than not, the phone is quickly handed off to BP officials. As my colleague Jeremy Peters wrote last week, flights carrying members of the media seeking photographs of the disaster have been restricted, and news organizations including CBS, The Associated Press and The Times-Picayune have complained that their efforts to report have been hampered by limited access. And BP has refused to acknowledge giant plumes of oil under the surface that were observed by local residents and reporters alike.

“On Thursday night, Anderson Cooper of CNN complained about seemingly ridiculous efforts to control the story, including the fact that rescued oil-covered birds were being guarded and hidden from view by members of the National Guard.”

Read more here.