Rhetorical Framing in Corporate Press Releases: The Case of British Petroleum and the Gulf Oil Spill

This article examines how British Petroleum (BP) used conventional features of the press release genre to characterize its involvement in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Findings suggest that press releases served two related functions: individually, they highlighted the company's public attempts to stabilize a dynamic situation and take responsibility for seemingly positive developments in the coastal region; and together, they contribute to an evolving narrative through which BP attempted to craft its image as an innovative corporation, conscientious environmental agent, and generous benefactor to those affected by the spill. The author argues that the features of the press release genre contribute to strategic rhetorical framing and thus offer important insights into the ways in which organizations position themselves in relation to environmental crises.