Calling all local weather journalists: Your dream job awaits, courtesy of Chevron. The oil large is trying to rent individuals with journalistic expertise to construct out a “newsroom”—quotes round that phrase included within the job posting—to assist unfold propaganda the excellent news about Chevron.

The new enterprise was first reported by E&E on Friday. In a hilarious twist that deserves nomination for its personal Pulitzer, E&E first discovered of the brand new enterprise when considered one of its personal reporters was approached by Cella, the staffing company doing the hiring for Chevron. The recruiter instructed the staffer that the job is a “great opportunity to join Chevron’s newsroom at [its] infancy.” When the E&E reporter requested what matters the place would write about and if local weather change can be included, the recruiter stated it might be overlaying “all things Chevron.”

The unique job listing, titled “Business Writer, Oil & Energy,” was posted to LinkedIn by Cella and doesn’t point out Chevron by title. (Other postings from Cella for an editor-in-chief and a creative director point out an “oil and energy client.”) Braden Reddall, a spokesperson for Chevron, confirmed to Earther in an electronic mail that the posting was for a gig on the oil and gasoline large.

“Our ambition is to proactively tell the story of Chevron through engaging, consumer-first digital content,” Reddall wrote. “Just like other companies, we are working to evolve the way we create and deliver our branded content to readers, both internal and external. As stated in the job ad, these are stories that can be leveraged across our digital ecosystem: chevron.com, newsletters, social media, paid search, and the internal news site.”

Producing in-house communications and paid media as a company technique is on the rise. But it’s undoubtedly value noting right here that Chevron has a really particular historical past of paying to create “news” extolling the corporate’s virtues. Most notably, Chevron pays for a “newspaper” in Richmond, California, the place a Chevron refinery has foisted air pollution on predominantly Black and Latinx communities for many years. The Richmond Standard—which has a footer disclaimer that it’s funded by Chevron, and goals to “provide a voice for Chevron Products Company on civic issues”—was began after the refinery exploded in 2012 (the third time it had finished so).

The web site runs information unrelated to Chevron, however has additionally revealed articles dissing anti-oil activists. A 2014 Guardian feature on that web site’s editor begins with the unbelievable lede that he has been referred to as “a corporate prostitute, a propagandist for big oil, an apologist for pollution, Voldemort and more,” which looks as if an excellent add to the job description for the brand new place. (Reddall didn’t reply Earther’s questions as as to if these new positions had been associated to the hassle in Richmond.)

More broadly, the oil and gasoline trade originated the entire thought of hiring individuals to supply paid content material disguised as information to advertise their product. Exxon began the pattern within the Seventies, when the corporate took out complete pages within the New York Times and disguised pro-Exxon advert copy to seem like editorials from the paper. More lately, oil corporations have tapped Instagram influencers to disseminate their messaging in sponsored posts and wormed propaganda disguised as information into a number of the most vital political newsletters. Hiring “reporters” to be a part of an inside “newsroom,” because the job posting says, looks as if a pure subsequent step.

It’s additionally notable that the place is posted because the PR corporations more and more come below hearth for working with Big Oil. Some companies have made efforts to separate themselves from the trade altogether, whereas PR large Edelman garnered widespread criticism for conserving polluters as purchasers following a review. Studies have proven that oil and gasoline company messaging and PR machines ramp up following unhealthy press and political motion. Considering the horrible 12 months oil majors that Chevron had in 2021, this effort looks as if an opportunity to hit reset and attempt to current the corporate as a kinder, gentler main company polluter.

And frankly, I’m bought. Consider this put up my resignation from Earther*; Big Oil, I’m prepared to inform your tales. No, not these ones about the way you refuse to pay a settlement to tribes within the Amazon or demonized the lawyer who beat you. And undoubtedly not tales about all of the homophobic bigots you fund in Congress or these pesky oil spills that maintain occurring. And undoubtedly not something about attempting to make use of protests in opposition to police brutality as a wedge concern to maintain pumping oil. No, we’ll undoubtedly discover some feel-good tales that I’m positive are hiding someplace.

* For authorized causes, it is a joke; Earther, I nonetheless love you.