After the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Bob Dudley was appointed as British Petroleum’s first American CEO. In a speech to business leaders in London, Dudley said the following in his closing comments:
Conclusion
I will conclude with one related observation about this last aspect of the crisis, the political and media attention it generated.
Over 87 days as the oil kept flowing into the ocean, it frequently felt as if we were the only story on the news, 24/7. I have seen figures that in some months fully 30% of the 24-hour news coverage was devoted to the incident.14
He went on to say the following:
As I said at the outset, this was a human tragedy and a terrible event with major environmental and economic impacts. It was an accident from which we must and will learn.
We were certainly not perfect in our response. But we have tried to do the right thing, and we are making significant changes to our organization as a result of the accident.15
Some people criticized the conclusion of Dudley’s speech, believing Dudley attacked the media rather than taking full responsibility for the oil spill.16 What do you think, based on this excerpt? Complete an analysis of Dudley’s primary and secondary audiences for the speech—business leaders and the public—and then discuss your assessment in small groups.