Foreword

More than a decade into the complex, fast-paced, interlinked, high-tech world of the 21st Century, buffeted again by financial turmoil and political instability, the stakes in the oil and gas industry are high. High returns – at high risk. From the 2010 spill in the Gulf of Mexico to the spectre of disrupted oil transport routes through the Gulf of Hormuz, from disputes over natural gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean to allegations that oil and gas revenue is being used to fuel revolutions, from the abduction of oil workers in the Niger Delta to shipwrecked tankers spilling oil into pristine waters, and from allegations of massive corruption in oil-for-food programs to oil and gas wealth squandered as populations starve and squirm under the boot of dictators, the oil and gas industry is volatile, intricate, controversy-ridden and not always transparent.

That’s where journalists come in. Their independent role is to shed light into those corners of the industry which powerful stakeholders would rather keep off-limits, off-the-air, and out-of-the-paper. This requires persistence, dedication, professional ethics, and, often, a great deal of courage in the face of ruthless threats to press freedom. These include physical attacks, criminal defamation suits, harassment by the security services, trumped-up charges, and even death – the ultimate and most callous form of censorship.

But because of the multifaceted nature of the energy sector, energy journalists also require specialist knowledge and tools. It’s no easy task explaining the rapid-fire vagaries of the oil and gas industry to a non-specialist reader - or viewership. Accuracy is also crucial. When journalists are talking about figures, they have to be spot-on if they’re going to be seen as a trustworthy source by consumers. They need to use the right technical terminology to avoid misunderstandings and furrowed brows. And they need to be familiar with the legitimate tricks of the trade of energy reporters.

That’s why, on the occasion of the IPI Oil, Gas & Media Conference in Baku, and together with Berlin-based energy consultancy and publishing house OpenOil, we have produced this energy reporters’ handbook. It includes: A guide to oil and gas data – and where to find it; a glossary; and do’s and don’ts for energy reporters.

This handbook is no substitute for defiant dedication to the noblest pillars of the profession. But I hope it will help you uphold them.

Alison Bethel McKenzie

IPI Executive Director