Sunshine Matters

Media Coverage Overview – for the week of August 2 – 6, 2010

Significant media headlines this week focused on the apparent progress in the Gulf to cap the Deepwater Horizon oil well. Today, CNN.com reports the U.S government is optimistic that the oil well will be permanently sealed.

Amid all the headlines, Florida’s tourism industry continues to be involved in the conversation. Several media outlets discuss Governor Crist’s meeting with tourism officials regarding requests for additional BP funds to assist in tourism advertising and marketing efforts. The underlying message from the tourism industry is clear: the urgent and strong need to counter misconceptions to Florida brands is crucial in the recovery phase. 

Below, highlights from this past week include coverage on the Florida tourism industry’s ongoing effort to address and proactively counter the consequences from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Florida’s clean beaches, good fishing touted on TV, miamiherald.com  (In this report: Thanks to a host of celebrities – including Gov. Charlie Crist, star chef Norman Van Aken, and champion Miami billfish tournament angler Peter Miller – viewers of cable’s Versus TV across the nation learned Friday night (June 30) what most Floridians already knew: “Our beaches are clean; the water pristine and our fishing is great,” Crist told the audience during a one-hour live broadcast of ‘Florida: Fishing Capital of the World’ from Coconut Grove’s Grove Harbour Marina. The show, a collaboration of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, VISIT FLORIDA and Versus, was produced to counteract misperceptions that Florida beaches are coated with oil from the now-plugged Deepwater Horizon gusher and that Florida’s fish are unsafe to eat.)  http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/30/1754731/floridas-clean-beaches-good-fishing.html

Out of Sight, Out of Mind, flanews.com  (In this report: With the oil disappearing from the surface, the fear among beach businesses and environmentalists is that out of sight could mean out of mind… and BP won’t end up paying for all the damage its spill caused. Chris Thompson, President and CEO at VISIT FLORIDA, was quoted in the article stating, “There’s some repair that needs to be done to the Florida brand and to some of our county brands within the Florida brand, so we certainly made that very clear to BP. They are aware of that situation.”) http://http://www.flanews.com/?p=10132

BP Offers Tourist Incentives to Gulf Coast Visitors, WTVY.com  (In this report: Chris Thompson, was quoted in the article stating, “There’s still a lot of work that has to be done…There’s been some damage to the brands and to what extent, we’re still learning, but there is a need, at least over the next three to six months, maybe a year, for us to repair the damage to those brands that occurred as a result of the spill.”) http://www.wtvy.com/home/headlines/99913134.html

Florida tourism boosted by BP funds but Crist asked to do more, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via Poten.com  (In this report: Article discusses Governor Crist’s meeting with several Florida tourism officials regarding requests for additional BP funds for tourism advertising and marketing efforts.)  http://http://www.poten.com/NewsDetails.aspx?id=10558559

Oil spill: Area gets $7M tourism boost, pnj.com http://www.pnj.com/article/20100730/NEWS01/100730008/1056/NEWS10/Oil-spill–Area-gets–7M-tourism-boost

Florida Deepwater Horizon Response August 6, 2010, capitalsoup.com  (In this report: The State Emergency Operations Centers transitioned to a Level Two – partial activation on August 5, 2010 in response to the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico.)  http://capitalsoup.com/2010/08/06/florida-deepwater-horizon-response-august-6-2010/

For tourism, averting another disaster, miamiherald.com  (In this report: In addition to environmental damage, coastal communities are dealing with misperceptions and image issues.)  http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/01/1755922/for-tourism-averting-another-disaster.html

Gulf states now worry about restoring their image, Charlotte Observer http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/01/1594976/gulf-states-now-worry-about-restoring.html

Guest commentary: Help us show the world our beaches are oil-free, naplesnews.com  http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jul/31/help-us-show-world-our-beaches-are-oil-free/

Scientists question government team’s report of shrinking gulf oil spill, washingtonpost.com  (In this report: Video interview with National Incident Commander Adm. Thad Allen.)  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/04/AR2010080407082.html