Katerina Swanson
The fossil fuel industry has a history of leveraging media technology to promote its interests, including through advertising and sponsorship. Fossil fuel companies have been known to pay substantial sums of money for advertising campaigns, with many trusted news outlets lending their reputations to the industry's messaging. This includes creating content that promotes the industry's climate solutions, such as carbon capture and clean coal, which may not effectively address the root causes of warming. The industry also exerts financial influence through political contributions, with individuals donating directly to candidates' campaigns and political action committees. Dark money, where the source of donations is not disclosed, allows fossil fuel interests to fund misinformation about clean energy and promote non-renewable resources, influencing legislation and elections.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fossil fuel industry's influence on TV networks | Advertising programs, fossil fuel companies paying for tailored content, promoting industry events, funding misinformation, influencing politics and elections, leveraging media technology |
| TV network's coverage of climate solutions | Less than 1/5 of climate coverage on news shows touched on climate solutions in 2017-2018; 34% in 2021, 37% in 2019 |
| Political contributions by the fossil fuel industry | $219 million spent on electing the new U.S. government, 88% to Republicans, $2 million to Trump's campaign, $900,000 to Cruz's campaign |
| Fossil fuel subsidies | $1 trillion in global handouts in 2022, U.S. taxpayers pay $20 billion annually to the industry |
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What You'll Learn
- Fossil fuel companies pay for advertising content on TV networks
- Fossil fuel companies sponsor events held by TV networks
- Fossil fuel companies finance political campaigns to influence TV coverage
- Fossil fuel companies create content that promotes false solutions to climate change
- Fossil fuel companies outspend clean energy companies on TV advertising
Fossil fuel companies pay for advertising content on TV networks
Fossil fuel companies have been paying for advertising content on TV networks, with some networks giving airtime to fringe or false solutions to climate change. These solutions include carbon capture and sequestration, carbon offsets, and fracked natural gas as a bridge fuel. In some cases, network anchors have asked climate questions that have been framed and utilized by the fossil fuel industry.
While TV networks are responsible for selecting the material they air, there is concern that they are influenced by the fossil fuel industry's advertising spending. Fossil fuel companies have been known to leverage and innovate media technology to their advantage, and the advent of internal "brand studios" at major media outlets has only supercharged these advertising programs. These brand studios create tailored content for advertisers at a higher cost than traditional ad rates, making them increasingly important to newsrooms facing revenue losses.
For example, Reuters Events stages fossil fuel industry trade shows and creates digital events and webinars for vendors in the fossil fuel supply chain. They also offer to produce webinars, white papers, and live event interviews for those looking to connect with decision-makers in the oil and gas industry. In June 2023, Reuters convened hundreds of oil, gas, and tech executives for a conference on scaling digital to maximize profit in the oil and gas industry.
Similarly, Bloomberg, The Economist, The Financial Times, The New York Times, Politico, Reuters, and The Washington Post all have internal brand studios that create advertising content for fossil fuel companies, ranging from podcasts to newsletters, videos, and advertorials. Some of these outlets have produced and promoted messages from the fossil fuel industry that sound like they came from their public relations departments. By lending their credibility and reputation to these messages, these outlets have helped the fossil fuel industry shape its climate-related messaging.
While TV networks may not be directly influenced by fossil fuel companies' advertising spending, the industry's financial power and its ability to innovate and leverage media technology cannot be ignored. The advent of internal brand studios and the higher costs of tailored content have only increased the influence of advertising spending on TV networks' content decisions.
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Fossil fuel companies sponsor events held by TV networks
Fossil fuel companies have been investing large sums of money in advertising campaigns and partnering with major media outlets to promote their interests. These companies have been sponsoring events held by TV networks and other media outlets to improve their public image and promote their agendas.
A report by DeSmog and Drilled analysed hundreds of advertorials and events, as well as ad campaign data, and found that many trusted news outlets regularly lend their credibility to the fossil fuel industry's messaging. For example, Bloomberg, The Economist, The Financial Times, The New York Times, Politico, Reuters, and The Washington Post all have internal brand studios that create advertising content for fossil fuel companies, and some allow these companies to sponsor their events.
Reuters, in particular, has been criticised for partnering with Chevron, the "Diamond" sponsor of its "Reuters Impact" climate event in London in 2023, and an upcoming "Global Energy Transition Summit" in New York in 2024. Reuters also stages fossil fuel industry trade shows and creates digital events and webinars for vendors in the fossil fuel supply chain, explicitly aimed at maximising oil and gas production.
Other examples include The Economist, whose in-house studio created content for BP, which sponsored its 2020 "Sustainability Week" event, and Politico, which runs a high volume of sponsored content for the fossil fuel industry, including native ads for the American Petroleum Institute. The Washington Post has also run editorials and multimedia pieces for the American Petroleum Institute, highlighting fossil gas and undermining renewable energy sources.
These partnerships between media outlets and fossil fuel companies raise concerns about the integrity of the information presented to the public and the potential influence of these companies on climate change narratives.
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Fossil fuel companies finance political campaigns to influence TV coverage
Fossil fuel companies have been known to finance political campaigns and influence TV coverage. In 2025, the fossil fuel industry spent $219 million to elect the new US government. The industry also spends over $100 million annually to lobby politicians to enact favourable legislation, such as voting against climate policies and slowing the adoption of cleaner energy sources. This influence extends to the media, with fossil fuel companies paying for advertising campaigns in major news outlets.
University of Miami professor Geoffrey Supran stated:
> They wouldn’t be spending vast sums of money on these campaigns if they didn’t have a payoff and it’s well documented that for decades the fossil fuel industry has leveraged and weaponized and innovated the media technology of the day to its advantage.
Media outlets have internal "brand studios" that create advertising content for fossil fuel companies, including podcasts, newsletters, videos, and advertorials. Some companies even sponsor events and create custom industry conferences to facilitate faster production of oil and gas. For example, Reuters Events staged fossil fuel industry trade shows and created digital events and webinars for vendors in the fossil fuel supply chain.
The influence of the fossil fuel industry on TV coverage of climate solutions has been notable. In 2017 and 2018, less than one-fifth of climate coverage on major networks touched upon climate solutions. While there has been an increase in solution coverage in recent years, there is still a focus on corporate-backed solutions that do little to address the root causes of warming. Additionally, there have been instances of network anchors asking climate questions that are framed in favour of the fossil fuel industry.
The financial influence of the fossil fuel industry on politics and media contributes to a narrative that protects incumbent industries and promotes false or fringe solutions to climate change.
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Fossil fuel companies create content that promotes false solutions to climate change
Fossil fuel companies have been known to create content that promotes false solutions to climate change. These companies have the financial resources to pay for advertising and other public relations instruments to spread misinformation about climate science and promote false solutions. This has been termed "corporate manipulation" and has been observed to delay or derail the transition to clean energy.
A 2017 study by Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes revealed that fossil fuel companies have been spending vast sums of money on advertising campaigns. These campaigns are designed to manipulate public and elite perceptions of the major oil companies, creating a barrier to meaningful climate action. Fossil fuel companies also sponsor events and create custom content, such as podcasts, newsletters, videos, and advertorials, that promote their interests.
Media outlets have internal brand studios dedicated to creating tailored content for advertisers, and fossil fuel companies have been willing to pay for these services. For example, Reuters Events stages fossil fuel industry trade shows and creates digital events and webinars for vendors in the fossil fuel supply chain. They also offer to produce webinars, white papers, and live event interviews for those looking to connect with decision-makers in the oil and gas industry.
In addition to advertising, fossil fuel companies have influenced media reporting and television news coverage. In 2017 and 2018, less than one-fifth of climate coverage on major networks' nightly and Sunday news shows discussed climate solutions. While there has been an increase in solution coverage since then, there is still a need to vet solutions pushed by corporations and the fossil fuel industry, as they often do little to address the root causes of warming.
Examples of false solutions promoted by the fossil fuel industry include carbon capture and sequestration, carbon offsets, and the idea of "clean coal." These solutions are often derived from industry talking points and do not provide meaningful change to address climate change.
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Fossil fuel companies outspend clean energy companies on TV advertising
Fossil fuel companies have been major advertisers on TV networks, and their advertising spending has increased in recent years. In 2023, Reuters Events convened hundreds of oil, gas, and tech executives for a conference on "Scaling Digital to Maximize Profit." Fossil fuel companies are willing to spend large sums of money on advertising campaigns because they expect a significant return on their investment.
According to a report by DeSmog and Drilled, many of the world's most trusted English-language news outlets regularly lend their credibility to the fossil fuel industry's messaging on climate-related issues. These outlets include Bloomberg, The Economist, The Financial Times, The New York Times, Politico, Reuters, and The Washington Post. Each of these outlets has an internal brand studio that creates advertising content for fossil fuel companies, ranging from podcasts to newsletters, videos, and advertorials. Some even allow fossil fuel companies to sponsor their events.
In contrast, clean energy companies have not been able to match the advertising spending of fossil fuel companies. This disparity in spending has contributed to a lack of coverage of climate solutions on corporate broadcast TV news. In 2017 and 2018, less than one-fifth of climate coverage on nightly and Sunday news shows on major networks touched upon climate solutions. While there has been an improvement in 2021, with climate solutions making up 34% of climate coverage, the focus is still largely on fringe or false solutions promoted by the fossil fuel industry.
The influence of the fossil fuel industry extends beyond advertising and into politics. In the 2024 election cycle, the oil and gas industry contributed about $26 million to winning candidates, with 88% of the money going to Republicans. The industry also exerts influence through "dark money," where wealthy donors and corporations can anonymously fund political activities and spread misinformation about clean energy. This allows the fossil fuel industry to protect its massive subsidies and prevent significant energy reform.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, TV networks do get money from the fossil fuel industry through advertising. Fossil fuel companies pay for advertising campaigns, including television spots, to promote their agendas.
TV networks provide a platform for the fossil fuel industry to reach a wider audience and promote their messages. This includes broadcasting content that aligns with the fossil fuel industry's interests, such as promoting specific solutions like carbon capture and "renewable biogas" or criticising policies that are unfavourable to the industry.
It is not clear if all TV networks accept money from the fossil fuel industry. However, major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox have been criticised for their coverage of climate solutions, with a focus on fringe or false solutions favoured by the fossil fuel industry.
