Chevron’s Sponsoring the PBS NewsHour

A few readers have objected to my post suggesting that Chevron’s sponsoring the PBS NewsHour could warp the objectivity of the coverage of the energy industry. Most of these responses point out that I have no proof that Chevron’s presence actually has created a slant, which is true. Others say that energy does not have to be an “us versus them” story.

I’m not a combative or suspicious person by nature, but there is no way that anyone can analyze the energy industry and not conclude that it is essentially “us vs. them.” The oil companies employ 700 lobbyists whose job it is to influence our government in its favor. If they didn’t see the need to purchase that favor, they wouldn’t employ the biggest lobby on Earth. And they’ve been fantastically successful;they’ve succeeded in creating a world in which oil receives several dollars in subsidies for every dollar given to renewables.

It was only a couple of years ago that ExxonMobil admitted to and agreed to stop funding sham “research” organizations whose only job was to discredit the theory of global warming. Here’s an article that outlines how absurdly contentious this global warming issue has become.

As an industry observer, I don’t feel a lot of love between the fossil fuel and clean energy people. It’s regrettable, but it’s true. One might hope for — or even expect — a kind of kinship here, since we all breathe the same air and drink the same water. But as far as I can see, we’re a million miles from any cooperation that may result in a better, cleaner, and safer planet that we call home.

Lastly, I don’t object to Chevron’s sponsoring commercial drivel like Wheel of Fortune – or even excellent entertainment like Masterpiece Theater – shows that have no bearing on news coverage. But to think that news editors are immune from the pressure of sponsors’ money is naive.