The British Petroleum Oil Spill Lack of Response Last year, news broke of an oil spill off the Gulf Coast. These events occur periodically and usually attract a lot of media attention. Because British Petroleum (BP) executives failed to shut down the crude oil or prevent the damage caused, people took notice. Millions of dollars in tourism, trade and sales were lost. Thousands of hectares of wildlife and ecosystems have also been compromised. There were more questions than answers. What BP has done to ease growing fears has sparked controversy. They initially said there were no problems, then denied there were any problems and then failed to fix the problem. BP executives were stunned by the intense media attention and shocked after being accused of their incompetence. This article will explore the issues surrounding the giant mess and what can be learned from the incident. The oil spill in the Gulf was serious; the company's public relations strategy made matters worse. Their plan of action was to stonewall the media, deny responsibility and hope the problem would resolve itself. Needless to say, that plan didn't work and they had no “Plan B”. The media has been demanding answers from BP regarding the causes of the disaster that began on April 10, 2010. It has become one of the worst environmental spills in US history. . Instead of admitting the problem and taking responsibility, the company went on a guilt-fueled offensive binge that left those affected by the events horrified and angry. (Houpe, 2010) Instead of asking for help, executives told people, “There is nothing to see here, bring forth public relations theories.” BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward said the pipes complied with local laws and regulations. The spill itself was not the company's… half of the document… Oil Spill Response,” Mediashift, PBS.com, July 12, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from: http:// www.pbs. org/mediashift/2010/07/5-digital-pr-lessons-from-bps-oil-spill-response193.htmlCook, Phil. “BP Oil Spill Lessons: How NOT to Respond to a Disaster.” com, May 23, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from: http://philcooke.com/BP_Spill/Houpe, Rosa “The Sticky Details: BP oil spill fact that you must not forget,” Gulf oil Spill, February 5, 2011 Retrieved May 3, 2011, from: http://www.gulfspilloil.com/the-sticky-details-bp-oil-spill-facts-that-you-should-not-forgetLuce, Edward. “BP Faces Disaster of Public Relations,” June 2010. Renak, Judith. “Tylenol Made Johnson and Johnson Heroes: The Recall That Started Them All,” The New York Times. March 22, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from: http:/ /www.nytimes.com/2002/03/23/your-money/23iht-mjj_ed3_.html