Why Big Oil's Reputation Could Be Bad for Investors

The guest on this week's nationally syndicated Motley Fool Money radio show is Steve Coll, author of the new book Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power. In this audio segment, he analyzes the role that reputation plays in the oil industry. Just as ExxonMobil dealt with a damaged reputation in the wake of the Valdez accident, companies such as BP, Chevron, and Royal Dutch Shell have all faced various challenges in the public eye. Coll discusses how a bad reputation is nothing new in the oil industry.

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At the time thisarticle was published Chris Hillowns no shares of any of the companies mentioned.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Chevron and ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days.

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