As BP attempts to both stop the massive gulf oil leak and coordinate some kind of damage control to the company's image, it is using Facebook and Twitter to bypass the press, in some cases, and get word out beyond its spokespeople.

“Oil company BP Plc is also able to control the message without it being filtered by radio, television and newspaper reporters,” Reuters states. “A Facebook page launched by the joint U.S. and BP spill response team, located here has over 11,000 followers. They have access to photos, spill-trajectory maps generated by the government, video on topics including the controlled burns by BP, and summaries of daily news briefings."

It adds that BP America's Twitter site, twitter.com/BP_America, has more than 2,500 followers.