What’s Reuters’ Problem With EVs?

March 30th, 2013 by Zachary Shahan

Image Credit: Model S via Wikimedia Commons

In all seriousness, does anyone know what the deal is with Reuters? I’ve now seen a handful fo heavily lopsided, anti-EV stories over there. I keep sticking them in my “need to write an article debunking this” file (which is rather sorely neglected due to all the fun cleantech news there is to cover), but it’s just getting rather suspicious.

I don’t recall ever seeing a very positive EV piece on Reuters. And the original EV pieces they run look like they could have come from Fox News.

Anyway, I thought I’d simply drop this here for discussion/feedback — see if any of you have any information or opinions on this.

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Tags: Reuters, Reuters Electric Cars, Reuters Electric Vehicles

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

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http://xeeme.com/MrEnergyCzar MrEnergyCzar

Fossil fuel advertising and funding is my first guess….

MrEnergyCzar
y a

Please add a link to these articles.
Whether you find them agreeable or not, it is only fair to link…
Lets keep the discussion on this site as fair and professional as possible
- Ross
  
  After reading this article I went looking for past Reuters EV coverage. This was the first one that came up.
  
  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/uk-autos-electric-hydrogen-idUSLNE91303P20130204
  
  The journalists involved do seem to have a long pedigree in motoring coverage and no one could accuse them of being boosters of the inevitable EV future.
- http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  sorry, i don’t link to articles that are full of misinformation or ridiculous bias. linking to them helps them in google, which results in more people being confused.
  - agelbert
    
    Hear! Hear!
- http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  but, btw, i do still have 2-3 in my drawer to write a post about. will simply mention the titles, but if you want me to here, i can drop them in.
Michael Berndtson

Two words: British Petroleum. No, make that some more words: Royal Dutch Shell. Throw in the House of Windsor and its holdings in both – and we have an old fashion tinfoil hat conspiracy – with a nugget of truth maybe. The UK is so tightly intertwined with oil and gas from London to Edinburgh – despite feelings the Prince of Wales might have for nature. Even the Guardian is kind of “meh” on actually doing something about environmental protection.

More importantly is engineering and construction. Firms like AMEC and other British multinational consultancy and whatnot have its tentacles into almost every major O&G build throughout the world: from conventional oil to tar sands. We’re talking multi-billion dollar projects be it Russia or Canada or the Middle East. Renewable energy builds just don’t have the size and markup-ability that O&G builds have. Renewable builds don’t really need too many layers of managers and consultants. Consultancies’ roles are somewhat removed from nuts and bolts design and construction and more like planning and development, i.e. more Cambridge/Oxford University than say a Manchester Diesel Repair College. AMEC also is intertwined in less deliberate consulting efforts like social issues and environmental. Technical consulting by the way, was explained to me once as 90 percent sales, 9 percent jargon, and 1 percent technical.
- Alex_DNA
  
  Don’t underestimate the Dutch with Shell and the royal family (with Argentinian queen)… Like BP, Gazprom they have large offices & facilities in the Netherlands.
  Very true that renewable energy industry have (very) poor PR, Marketing and ultimately, lousy Consultancy and Sales which cannot deal with the ‘violent’ communication of O&G industries.
- http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  the Guardian is the only MSM i like, but i just follow its Environment section.
  - http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
    
    though, have to say, i don’t get the obsession with birds that they have.
    - Ross
      
      It isn’t just the Guardian, here’s a BBC documentary on this British national trait.
      - http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
        
        had a feeling. thanks!
http://profiles.google.com/ivor.oconnor Ivor O’Connor

I feel your pain. Last time the Reuters subject came up I said I was thinking about removing them as a source. They are always so incredibly lopsided and wrong it is just not worth it. Well since then I did remove them and I feel great not seeing their constant spin. Good riddance Reuters!
- http://zacharyshahan.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  yeah, since that time, they’ve published at least one more EV-bashing, lopsided piece.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Tracy/1064316217 Mark Tracy

The CIA has admitted that it has media assets to promote its views. I suspect that the the well-financed oil industry also has media assets to serve a similar purpose.
- http://www.facebook.com/matthew.t.peffly Matthew Todd Peffly
  
  You think! LOL
- Alex_DNA
  
  O&G-industry ARE the governmental source for their capital. Of course both will manipulate media & public opinion to their views & interests just to secure their future and income….
  - KIMBO
    
    yes ,what you say is true,but when the public see that can charge your ev for free–now that monark has invented a solar and wind turbiine..that folds up like a beach sunshade charge up anywhere. however a even better type was invented years ago. Now ev transport will be free to run.the public will love that. Flower power is here . us old hippys will change the world to our dreams, for all the kids .
- http://twitter.com/djm12 Doug
  
  If the CIA was involved, you would think they would do whatever they could to promote energy independence. I’d like to think that our sneaky spies our working to harm our enemies – which unfortunately seem include lots of players in big oil.