The term “petroganda” was coined by journalist and Drilled founder Amy Westervelt to describe the fossil fuel industry’s approach to the information ecosystem, an approach that goes far beyond simply “disinformation,” which Westervelt describes as just the most visible symptom of this problem. In this context “petroganda” is defined as: The intentional warping of information ecosystems by corporate interests, such that everything from the basic building blocks of information—university research, surveys, white papers—to public-facing campaigns crafted by PR and advertising experts are driven by a profit or power motive as opposed to the desire to understand and communicate.

The fossil fuel industry saw the benefit of shaping and leveraging the information ecosystem early on. It was one of the first major users of PR in the U.S. and it continues to spend more than most other industries. Similarly, fossil fuel companies saw the value of investing in university research as a way to shape policy as early as the 1920s. Despite the billions of dollars it’s spent on PR, research, and other information pollution strategies over the years, the industry and its favorite firms are not exactly innovative. They come back to the same five key narratives over and over again, leaning on whichever plays best at any particular point in time:

The Original Narrative: We Keep You Safe– From fueling wars to preserving national security, the industry loves to highlight it’s role in keeping America safe…even when it’s profiting from wars that it has also helped to manufacture.

The Economy vs. The Environment – Keeping nature separate from humans and reminding us over and over again that economic growth is more important than conservation has helped the industry stave off regulation for decades.

We Make Your Life Work – From keeping the lights on to providing the building blocks for life-saving medical devices, smart phones, cosmetics and fast fashion, the industry loves to remind consumers that they need it.

We’re Part of the Solution – Nothing keeps regulation away like voluntary solutions that make it seem like the industry is really trying.

We’re a Great Neighbor– Just in case people still aren’t thrilled about dirty air, dirty water, and climate change, the industry makes sure to fund museums, sports, aquariums, and schools, which serves the dual purpose of cleaning up its image and making communities feel dependent on the industry and thus less likely to criticize it.

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Amy is the executive editor of Drilled, an award-winning investigative climate journalist, and author of the book Brought To You By. She has been on the climate beat for more than 20 years, reporting for...

Molly Taft (they/she) is a freelance journalist. They recently served as a contributing editor on the climate vertical at the New Republic, and were a staff writer reporting on climate, tech, and Big Oil...