The Image Restoration of BP

This study expands on crisis communication literature by examining how BP restored its reputation after the oil spill that occurred on April 20, 2010. Overall, this study was guided by relevant literature in image restoration theory, framing theory, and the situational crisis communication theory. Then, a qualitative content analysis of BP press releases, commericals, and newspaper articles highlighted the relationship between the image restoration strategies used by BP and how the media assessed the strategies. These results indicate an increase in the use of multiple image restoration strategies and media frames. Moreover, this study provides insight into the steps crisis managers should take in the postcrisis stage.