Range Resources has changed their official story about conducting PSYOPS in our neighborhoods THREE TIMES now.
The first two versions (that we know of) are detailed in my post, PSYOPS: Range Resources official statement changes twice. The latest version appears in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Drillers using counterinsurgency experts
Marcellus industry taking a page from the military to deal with media, resident opposition
Sunday, November 13, 2011
By Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“To suggest that the two comments made at unrelated [conference sessions] are a strategy is dishonest,” Mr. Pitzarella said. “[Range Resources has] been transparent and accountable, and that’s not something we would do if we were trying to mislead people.”
The first session at the conference was titled: DESIGNING A COMPREHENSIVE HYDRAULIC FRACTURING MEDIA RELATIONS STRATEGY. This was the session in which Carmichael and Pitzarella presented so clearly their presentations were related. Here is a copy and paste from the agenda:
DAY 1: HARNESSING MASS MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA AND GRASS-ROOTS COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO DEVELOP DYNAMIC STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING PUBLIC CONCERN OVER UNCONVENTIONAL OIL & GAS PRODUCTION
Chair: Tisha Schuller, President & CEO, Colorado Oil & Gas Association
8.00 Registration & Refreshments Served In Exhibition Showcase Area
8.50 Chair’s Opening Remarks
DESIGNING A COMPREHENSIVE HYDRAULIC FRACTURING MEDIA RELATIONS STRATEGY
DESIGNING A MEDIA RELATIONS STRATEGY
9.00 Understanding How Unconventional Oil & Gas Operators Are Developing A Comprehensive Media Relations Strategy To Engage Stakeholders and Educate The Public
- Strategies for effectively reaching mainstream media to promote a company message to a wider target audience and drive education
- Breaking down the barriers to win over and leverage a hostile and agenda-driven media, promote a positive industry image and combat misinformation
- Understanding how to promote the larger economic and global implications of unconventional oil & gas production to develop the argument from a local environmental discussion
- Developing the ability to access technical and regulatory data rapidly, condense and simplify it, to counter negative press quickly, accurately and confidently
Michael Kehs, VP of Strategic Affairs and Public Relations, Chesapeake Energy
Matt Carmichael, Manager of External Affairs, Anadarko Petroleum
Dennis Holbrook, EVP of Regulatory and Public Relations, Norse Energy9.45 Extended Question & Answer Session
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING MEDIA RELATIONS CASE STUDY
10.00 Designing A Media Relations Strategy To Overcome Concerns Surrounding Hydraulic Fracturing
- Evaluating the most effective techniques for debunking common misconceptions of the hydraulic fracturing process to overcome stakeholder concerns
- Understanding the need for being less withholding and more transparent to truly engage and educate a misinformed media
- Sharing successful techniques in developing key messages ahead of time to be able to be able to proactively and rapidly combat negative press
- Understanding how to cultivate pitches and hooks that will appeal to mainstream media to promote a positive and accurate industry message
Matt Pitzarella, Director of Corporate Comms and Public Affairs, Range Resources
10.30 Question & Answer Session
10.40 Morning Refreshments Served In Exhibition Showcase Area
Clearly, Range Resources uses PSYOPS to overcome concerns in neighborhoods.
Matt Carmichael of Anadarko (audio files in wmv & mpg)
Matt Pitzarella of Range Resources (audio files in wmv & mpg)
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Seriously, these are the same techniques that were used to create favorable attitudes about the Iraq War. All we have to do is Google a little and remember what was going on during that time.
Seems that like the PSYOPS used during the Iraq War, the message took away from the truth because they didn’t think we could handle it and/or didn’t want us to know it.
http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/vp01.cfm?outfit=pmt&folder=10&paper=722
[...]
Clearly, the assumption of some in the government is the people
of the United States and the United Kingdom will come to a
wrong decision if they are the given truth.
• We probably have taken “Information Warfare” too far.
• We allowed strategic psychological operations to.
become part of public affairs.
• We failed to make adequate distinction between strategic
influence stuff and intelligence.
• Message became more important than performance.
…
As Gardiner says: “I pain for our democratic process when I find individuals not angered at being deceived.”
[...]
It’s easier than all of this:
Anytime I read this:
UNCONVENTIONAL OIL & GAS PRODUCTION
I get extremely concerned, as should anyone. Who cares what comes after that, really.
But FrackingCrazy, they’ve already latched on to people who don’t know unconventional from conventional. Heck, they never called it that, anyway. They call it Super Natural Gas in some communities I’ve learned about. God’s Gas. And A Gift from God.
Praise God and the Barnett Shale, y’all.
Amen
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