Abstract
This thesis looks at the apologia employed by British Petroleum in the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in the summer of 2010. The critical question of this thesis is: What modes of apologia did British Petroleum employ in its public rhetoric in an effort to defend itself from accusations over the cause of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? This thesis will analyze the press releases made public by British Petroleum to determine which modes of apologia, if any, were employed by the company to restore its image. This study argues that apologia is used by organizations in responses of self defense in an effort to improve its image with the public audience.