The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill News Media Fantasy versus...

Abstract: The purpose of this research paper was to investigate the news media’s depiction of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The coverage provided by the newspapers was compared to that of scientific journals to access their validity and insight. The reactions the coverage evoked on the public were also studied. The paper specifically addressed the media’s portrayal of the oil company versus that of environmental groups. It was found that the news media did not include the benefits the oil company had had on the people and economy of Alaska. It was also found that up until 1989, many Alaskans were opposed to environmental groups. Next, the paper followed the role the media played on the public’s emotions and subsequent government†¦show more content†¦They failed to include with these evaluations any sources of error in the data they disclosed. For example, inconclusive data surrounding specific species prior to the spill in Prince William Sound or the inexperience scientists had in dealing with a spill of this magnitude. This paper will focus on investigating the news media’s coverage of the spill, in light of scientific research performed, on the environmental impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The environmental impacts studied will demonstrate the errors in the news media’s reporting and ultimate irresponsible reporting of the spill. The Role of Environmental Groups and Exxon in Alaska: The news media often chose to highlight the views of environmental groups who had originally been opposed to Exxon’s drilling. These groups â€Å"traditionally feared oil development and oil tanker traffic in Alaska, and the opposed the trans-Alaska pipeline from the onset† (Birkland, 1998). They would, therefore, typically offer opinions that were most vehemently against Exxon and would make for more interesting news. For the most part, the media did not mention that these groups were politically unpopular in Alaska throughout the 1980’s. Many Alaskans were against federal environmental initiatives such as the Alaskan National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 which â€Å"locked up† more than 80 million acres of landShow MoreRelatedImpacts of Information Technology on Individuals, Organizations and Societies21097 Words   |  85 Pagesan Internet-connected computer near you. For years, movie studios suffered minor losses due to high-tech piracy (theft of digital content) that was carried out by people duplicating videotapes and DVDs. The need to produce and distribute physical media presented a number of technical and logistical difficulties for movie pirates, which limited the scope of their operations. Thus, picture studios largely ignored these activities. When Napster.com and other sites began to use the Web and peer-to-peerRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 PagesOxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With oYces in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey