1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: I'm Immy Westervelt and this is drilled. 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:10,039 Speaker 2: Today. 3 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: We're going to be talking about the relationship between the 4 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: fossil fuel industry and the media. That relationship often starts 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: with a giant contract with a PR firm. We're talking 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,240 Speaker 1: in the order of fifty million dollars a year, thirty 7 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: million dollars a year, twenty five million dollars a year. 8 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: These are not small contracts. And what these firms do 9 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: for that money is not just provide the sort of 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: standard things we think of with PR, like placing advertising, 11 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: maybe trying to arrange interviews for executives, things like that, 12 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: sending out price releases. They also do public affairs for 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: these companies, and that means doing things like setting up 14 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: front groups for them, coordinating with trade industry groups around messaging, 15 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: coordinating with think tanks. Sometimes it's setting up a whole 16 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: fake blog universe. In a lot of ways, PR firms 17 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: have been sort of the lynch pin of the fossil 18 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: fuel industry's plan for a long long time, and the 19 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: media has been complicit. We're going to get into all 20 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: of that and a lot more up ahead. 21 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 3: The most interesting thing is the scale of the money. 22 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 3: You know, You're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars 23 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 3: spent by these trade associations to try to influence public policy. 24 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 3: They're not selling a product, you know that. Separately, there's 25 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 3: tens of millions more spent by the oil companies to 26 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 3: sell their gasoline to us and sell their image. But 27 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 3: this is broader. You know, if you look at spending 28 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 3: by the American Council for Clean Coal Electricity or by 29 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 3: American Petroleum Institute, it's it's a bigger campaign of some 30 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 3: sort that's been agreed upon by the members of that 31 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 3: trade association as a need, so it's a window into 32 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 3: their political gain. 33 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: You might remember that voice from the first season of Drilled. 34 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: That's Kurt Davies from the Climate Investigations Center. Kurt and 35 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: his team have been busy surveying PR firms and studying 36 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: tax forms to get a handle on just how much 37 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: the fossil fuel industries trade groups spend on advertising and PR. 38 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: That number is important because it's become increasingly difficult for 39 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: oil companies to directly advertise much more than their renewable 40 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: energy research and emissions reductions plans. So trade groups like 41 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,679 Speaker 1: the American Petroleum Institute, the National Association Manufacturers and the 42 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: US Chamber of Commerce have picked up the baton and 43 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: carried it forward. 44 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 3: There's very little overt climate denial in this. This is 45 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 3: more like making energy development look good, making fracking look good, 46 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 3: making you know, the oil. It's greening their image or 47 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 3: making them look like God bless America companies that are 48 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 3: doing good for all of us. You know, the the 49 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 3: Power Past Impossible campaign, which is making energy just look 50 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 3: really cool. That is not explicitly climate denial, but what 51 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 3: it's making people think is, hey, energy is important, so 52 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 3: maybe we should question these policies like the Green New 53 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 3: Deal that's going to change the way I can use energy, 54 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 3: you know. Sort of it's laying the groundwork for the 55 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 3: campaigns that are against policies on climate change, which would 56 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 3: naturally be changing our energy behavior. 57 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: The Climate Investigation Center report picks up where they and 58 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: the Center for Public Integrity left off back in twenty 59 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: fourteen and twenty fifteen. In twenty fourteen, see ICE surveyed 60 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: pr firms and their approaches to climate change, and then 61 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: The Guardian Suzanne Boldberg asked the country's top firms whether 62 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: they would refuse to promote climate gile or to set 63 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: up front groups and things like that that would Edelman, 64 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: one of the first firms to use these tactics on 65 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: behalf of Big Oil, said it was not something that 66 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: they were doing. But shortly after that story came out, 67 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: a Trans Canada memo was leaked that showed that wasn't true. 68 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 3: We got a hold of a leaked Edelman Trans Canada 69 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,559 Speaker 3: document later in that year where they showed their entire 70 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 3: battle plan for how to get a pipeline that would 71 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 3: be the alternative to the Keystone pipeline from Alberta to 72 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 3: the Atlantic Ocean, and it included all sorts of mercenary tactics. 73 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 3: It shows you that these, you know, public affairs and 74 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 3: pr is much more than advertising that you see on television. 75 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 3: You know, if you if you see a campaign for 76 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 3: the new Hamburger with French fries on it, that's a 77 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 3: different level than a full public affairs campaign for a 78 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 3: corporate enterprise or a damage control campaign. 79 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: Edelman had to shun the American Petroleum Institute's money after that, 80 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: but they thought of an easy solution. They spun a 81 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: business unit called Blue Advertising off into its own business, 82 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: which continued to work for API last year. That account 83 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: appears to have gone to a firm in Texas called 84 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: GDS and M, which produced API's Power Past Impossible campaign. 85 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: You might have seen the ads for this during the 86 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 1: Super Bowl. There's vivid and flashy. There's rapid fire text 87 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: on the screen listing all the aspects of modern life 88 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: that we wouldn't have without oil. Anna has a high 89 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: energy soundtrack to match. There's a website that goes along 90 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: with it, and now we're starting to see the different 91 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: media parts of that campaign get into various media outlets. 92 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: Kurtz report found that industry trade groups spend about one 93 00:05:55,560 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: point four billion dollars on PR advertising and lobbying from 94 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight to twenty seventeen. Keep in mind 95 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: that doesn't include what each individual company may have spent, 96 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: or what either companies or the industry spent on lobbying. 97 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 1: In fact, a few days after the CCI report came out, 98 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: a UK based group called Influence Map released its latest report, 99 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: which concluded that oil majors have spent about a billion 100 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: dollars on green PR since the pairs agreement in twenty sixteen. 101 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: That report also found that these companies will invest one 102 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: hundred and ten billion dollars in new fossil fuel production 103 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: in twenty nineteen, compared to around three point six billion 104 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: dollars on low carbon technology, which includes everything from carbon 105 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: capture to renewable energy. That advertising spend includes a new 106 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: and pretty insidious form of what people call native advertising 107 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 1: or sponsored content. It's not just running amidst editorial on 108 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: various publications websites, but actually being created by them. The 109 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: New York Times Brand Studio, for example, has unveiled major 110 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: interactive campaigns for both Exxon and Shell just this year. 111 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: For Exon, the focus is on the company's algae based 112 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: biofuels program. 113 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 2: These vibrant green dots microscopic living organisms are algae. Look closely. 114 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 2: Algae grows almost everywhere from murky ponds too out in 115 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: the ocean, and scientists recognize its potential to change our 116 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 2: energy future. The goal to one day fuel our trucks 117 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 2: and buses, boats, cars, even airplanes with the oil extracted 118 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: from algae. So how far could algae take us? Exon 119 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 2: Mobil is working with synthetic gnomics to figure out the answer. 120 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 2: With advances in molecular biology, the energy from algae could 121 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 2: touch our daily lives and lower the carbon emissions from 122 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 2: trans rotation by twenty twenty five. Exon Mobil is aiming 123 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 2: to have the technical ability to produce over ten thousand 124 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 2: barrels of algae based biofuel per day, enough to potentially 125 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 2: power tens of thousands of cross country flights annually and 126 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 2: over its life cycle, this biofuel will emit only about 127 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 2: half as much greenhouse gas as traditional fuels. Algae derived 128 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 2: fuel could help us meet growing demand for reducing emissions, 129 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 2: and it all starts here. That's unexpected energy from Exon Mobil. 130 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: For Shell, The New York Times brand studio created an 131 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: animated infographic alongside a very New York Times sounding story 132 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 1: about how we could get to quote emissions free by 133 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: twenty seventy, never mind that we need to get there 134 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: a lot sooner. Over the Washington Post, the Washington Post 135 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: brand studio just released its new campaign for the American 136 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: Petroleum Institute, its focus natural gas as the solution to 137 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: a low carbon future. Every journalist I know gets defensive 138 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: or even a little angry at the insinuation here. You know, 139 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: there's a division between ad and edit, the say and 140 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: I do I do? But here's the thing. Do readers 141 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: because these have tiny little labels up top that indicate 142 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 1: their paid posts, but otherwise they look sound and read 143 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: just like the outlet's editorial coverage, and more often than not, 144 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: they show up right alongside it, so readers see a 145 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: reported piece on one side of the page, oftentimes a 146 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: reported piece on climate or renewable energy, and then they 147 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: see something about Excellent's new algae biofuels right next to it. 148 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: It's probably not a coincidence that these things started appearing 149 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: right around the time that newspapers stop doing the whole 150 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: false equivalency thing on climate change and letting climate deniers 151 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 1: have a say. Just like oil companies help to invent 152 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: the op ad and the advertorial back in the seventies 153 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: and eighties, they've invented this new form of communication to 154 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 1: make sure that they can get their voice heard and 155 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: have as much of an equal footing as they can. 156 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: The fossil fuel industry's influence on the media is deep 157 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: and broad. It has a really long history. It's not 158 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: so obvious as some guy in a top hat and 159 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 1: tails with a thin mustache twirling it and showing up 160 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 1: at your desk and shouting at you to spike a story. 161 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,599 Speaker 1: It's a lot more subtle, which means it's also more effective. 162 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: And it's been going on for decades. And you know what, 163 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: oil companies don't spend tons of money on something every 164 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: year for decades. If it doesn't work, that's it for 165 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: this time. I am busily working on a new investigative 166 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: series that will be dropping next month. Look out for 167 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,200 Speaker 1: a preview of that in the next couple of weeks, 168 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 1: and we'll be releasing a new episode every day the 169 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: week of April twenty second. Yep, I know Earth Day. 170 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: See you then, Thanks for listening. Drilled is produced and 171 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 1: distributed by Critical Frequency. Reporting is done by me. Our 172 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 1: story consultant is Rika Murphy. Our theme music is by 173 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: Martin Wissenberg. Our cover art is by Lucas Lisakowski. Drilled 174 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: is made possible in part by a generous grant from 175 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. We really appreciate. 176 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: There's a board you can find Drilled wherever you get 177 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,239 Speaker 1: your podcasts. Please remember to rate and review the podcast. 178 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: It helps us find new listeners and fight climate deniers. 179 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: Thanks a lot, to see you next time.