BP: Beyond Published Criticism

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Like General Motors and Morgan Stanley, the energy company BP "has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward negative editorial coverage." BP's media buyer, the WPP firm MindShare, now "demands that ad-accepting publications inform BP in advance of any news text or visuals they plan to publish that directly mention the company, a competitor or the oil-and-energy industry" and give BP "the option to pull any advertising from the issue without penalty." An unnamed magazine executive called BP's new policy a "stupid request," but said his company has "unwritten guidelines with advertisers from several industries, including auto, airlines and tobacco, to pull their ads if related negative stories are in the issue." In 1997, following similar demands from Chrysler, the Magazine Publishers of America and the American Society of Magazine Editors took a stance against magazines giving advertisers "a sneak peek at stories, photos or tables of contents."