Exxons Whipping Cream on a Pile of Manure

JOANNM.VALENTI
Brigham Young University

InMarch1989over10milliongallonsofAlaskancrudeoilspilledintoPrinceWilliamSoundwhentheExxontanker
Valdezhitareef.Ultimately,milesofcoastlinewerefouled,thousandsofbirds,fishandmarinemammalsdiedanda
legacytoexploitingnaturalresourceswasborn.Ittooktendaysforthecompanytorunafullpagead,calledAnopen
lettertothepublic,in165dailynewspapersplusahandfulofmajormagazines.AccordingtoExxonsNewYork
mediarelationsmanagerSaraJohnson,theads,whichcostthecompany$1.8million,wereintendedtoofferanapology
fortheenvironmentaldisaster.Johnsonexplainedto St. Petersburg Times reporterKenOtterbourgthatExxon
wantedthepublictoknowthatwereconcernedandthatwellbetherefortheduration.
Fewboughttheapology.Exxonbroughtmediaspecialistsintofieldphonecallsandsenttopexecutivesonthe
televisiontalkshowrounds.Themediablitzfailedtosatisfactorilyexplainwhathadhappenedandwhatwasbeing
done.BuddyDaviseditorialfortheNew York TimesRegionalNewspapergroupinlateApriltypifiedmediaand
publicresponse:
StandardOilofNewJerseywasthegranddaddyandisknowntodayasExxon.Asidefromstealingconsumersblindasa
monopolyintheearlyyears,thecompanyplayeditawfullycozywiththeGermanNazisinthe1930sandspent$55millionin
attemptstobuytheItaliangovernmentinthe1960sand1970s.Otherwise,Exxonseemstohavebeenafairlydecentlowprofile
citizenuntiltheExxonValdezcrunchedintoAlaskanshoalslastmonth.

Duringtheheightofthecrisis,thecompanyreleasedtwelvevideonewsreleases(VNRs)withstunningaerialsof
Alaskansceneryandshotsofmajesticships.Thevoiceoverexclaims,ItscruisetimeinAlaska,andbusinessis
booming...noneofthecruiselinesareskipping(theportcalledValdez).Thespotsofferedtestimonyfromtourists
notatallunhappyabouttheirValdezvacationsandshotsofwhalesandsealswithoutcrudeoilonthemwiththenews
thatconcernsaboutthespillseemto(have)abated.
ExxonpublicaffairsmanagerJimMorakisreportedtoTechnology ReviewwriterSusanE.Davisthatbetween
27to30millionviewerssawatleastoneofthedozenVNRswiththeembeddedExxonmessages.Eventhoughsending
reporterstoAlaskatocoverthestoryateintotightnewsbudgets,somenetworksrefusedtoairtheExxonVNRs,among
themCNNnewsproducerEricScholl.

Micro Issues:
1. WastheExxonVNRseriesintendedtoinformthepublicorwasitanattempttodeflectattentionawayfrom
controversy?
2. Anestimated81millionviewerslearnedhowtobuydolphinsafetunafromaVNRproducedbyStarKist.What
differencedoesitmakewhenpublicrelationsreleasesenvironmentalormedicalnewsasopposedtomilitaryor
corporateinformation?
3. Aspartofanestimated$11millionPRcampaign,citizensforaFreeKuwaitspentover$600,000toproducepro
KuwaitvideosforAmericantelevisionnetworksduringtheIraqioccupationandwar.Istheamountofmoneyspent
toproduceaVNRastory?Afactorinitsuse?

Middle-range Issues:
1. NewspapershavereliedonpressreleasesfromPRfordecades.Hasthispracticeofinterreliancebetweenprint
mediaandPRresultedinreducedcredibilityforthepress?Whataretheethicalconsiderationsinnewsmediause
ofpublicrelationsreleases?
2. PRprofessionalsworrytheirclientswillobjecttoavisiblelogoorVNRsponsoredIDbecauseviewerswill
confusethenewsreleasewithinfomercials.WhatisthedifferencebetweenaVNRandaninfomercial?Who
shouldberesponsibleformakingsuretheaudienceunderstandsdifferentmediaformats?
3. Duringpresidentialelections,televisionaudiencesareexposedtoVNRsfromvirtuallyallofthemajorcandidates.
Trytorecallwhatyousawduringthe1992and1996campaigns.Whateffectdoesithaveonthevotingprocess
whencampaignstaffersproducewhatyouseeaboutelectioncontenders?

Macro Issues:
1. Whatistherelationshipbetweencredibilityandethicalbehavior?
2. Whereisthelinebetweennewsandpropaganda?Doescreatingastoryinhouseassurethatitisobjective?Does
acceptingaVNRfromaninterestedsourceassurethatitispropaganda?
3. Whataretheethicsofadvocacyincommunication?