Through a content analysis of trade journal articles, it was found that attention paid to environmental issues in both the chemical and oil industries had paralleled trends in public concern observed by Dunlap (1991): (1) a dramatic rise in the late 1960s and a peak in the early 1970s, (2) a dramatic decline in the mid‐1970s, (3) a resurgence around 1982, and (4) a dramatic increase in 1988. In the chemical industry, attention reached unprecedented levels by 1993. Attention from the oil industry was not sustained, declining again from 1990 to 1993. The strategic characteristics of this evolution have been similar between the two industries, following a staged progression through (1) self‐reliance, (2) confrontation, (3) cooperation, and (4) pro‐action, with shifts in 1970, 1982, and 1988. However, the oil industry's strategic progression diverges from that of the chemical industry, entering a fifth stage in 1990 that deviates from the proactive posture that it had started to develop in 1988. The relevant actors influencing corporate attention to environmental issues have evolved to include the government, environmental interests, investors, insurance companies, and industry competitors.