Helinski+Communication+Source+1


 * 1. Full citation: **

Ridgeway, James. "BP's Slick Greenwashing." // Mother Jones //. 04 May 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. .
 * 2. Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his credentials? **

James Ridgeway is a senior correspondent for Mother Jones. In the earlier years of his life he has worked for The New Republican and The Wall Street Journal. Ridgeway became a large name in the correspondent world when he revealed in the New Republican that General Motors has hired private detectives to tail consumer advocate Ralph Nader in attempts to discredit him due to the litigations of Nader that challenged the safety of the Chevrolet Corvair. He is the author of 20 books, such as //A Pocket Guide to Environmental Bad Guys, The 5 Unanswered Questions About 9/11: What the 9/11 Commission Report Failed to Tell Us//, // The Haiti Files: Decoding the Crisis //, // Yugoslavia's Ethnic Nightmare as well as manyothers. //
 * 3. What is the main topic or argument of the text? **

This article goes into the 200 million dollar rebranding campaign that was performed by BP in attempts to try to “green” their imagine in order to become a more likeable company as well as to become a leader in the oil industry which has primarily been considered a “dirty” line of work.
 * 4. Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out. **

There are several quotations throughout the text that show the true gain that is hoped to be made behind the entire rebranding campaign. Although they are trying to make themselves appear green, there is a much larger business aspect side to the effort and money that BP put into this rebranding. The article also disclimas all of the “green” awards that BP received by showing all of the environmental damage that was caused by BP at the same time as it was being awarded. The statistical increase in company profits that are included in the article show how much of a ploy the campaign truly is.
 * 5. What three quotes capture the critical import of the text? **

1)”  Before the Deepwater Horizon disaster, BP’s green image was nothing more than a scam. While making miniscule investments in things like solar power, biofuels, and carbon fuel cells that backed its PR claims, BP continued to work relentlessly to expand its oil and gas operations.”    2)  BP boasted the highest number of explosions and other accidents at its US refineries (several of them deadly), and made the  [|//Multinational Monitor//][|’s 10 Worst Companies] lists in 2000 and 2005, based on its environmental and human rights record. 3)  BP clearly believed that green was in the eye of the beholder. The company’s move toward green marketing began in 1997, when it quit the industry’s climate change denial group, the Global Climate Coalition, and acknowledged a possible link between global warming and the use of fossil fuels.
 * 6. Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus. **

This article goes into the exact areas that my presentation will be based around. Although BP is trying to display themselves as a “green” company to gain public support, there is much more going on behind the scenes. This is just the tip of the iceberg that is BP’s tactic to control their PR especially within the Deepwater Horizon incident.
 * 7. List at least two details or references from the text that will be useful to other members of your research group **

1) Talks about the tv campaigns that were run during 2004 where BP addressed individuals and asked them what they thought was wrong with the oil industry. As the individuals talked “green” initiatives of BP flashed across the screen to show the strides that BP was making to become better. Could be considered communication manipulation.   2)Talks in detail about the ratings and reviews that BP was getting from te public through media digitalization.