Media isn't telling you the pro-fracking report they're pushing around was funded by gas industry

[Triana]

Multiple mainstream media outlets have covered a new report touting the economic benefits from hydraulic fracturing ("fracking&quot without disclosing the report's industry funding.

The recently released study, titled "America's New Energy Future: The Unconventional Oil & Gas Revolution and the US Economy," received widespread media attention on Thursday. The report, conducted by consulting group IHS CERA, was commissioned by multiple fossil fuel organizations that stand to benefit from growth in the oil and gas industry. According to the report, the increase in unconventional oil and natural gas extraction has added an average of $1,200 in discretionary income to each US household in 2012, and now supports 1.2 million jobs -- projected to increase to 3.3 million by 2020. These figures are much larger than the findings of many previous economic studies.

However, multiple major news outlets, including Reuters, CNBC, Forbes.com, and the Los Angeles Times, covered the new report with no mention of its financial ties to the industry. The research was monetarily supported by America's Natural Gas Alliance, the American Petroleum Institute, the American Chemistry Council, the Natural Gas Supply Association, and others who stand to gain economically from an unregulated increase in fracking. Kyle Isakower, vice president of regulatory policy at the American Petroleum Institute -- the largest trade association for the oil and gas industry -- lauded the new report, saying "[f]or an organization like the American Petroleum Institute, being able to cite the findings and reputation of IHS goes a long way toward making its point to government officials." According to Steve Forde, vice president of policy and communication at the Marcellus Shale Coalition (an industry trade group), economic impact studies such as this are "an important advocacy tool" for industry development.

THE REST:
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/09/05/what-the-media-left-out-pro-fracking-report-was/195740

[gopiscrap]

1. figures, today's media is not but a bunch of corporate whores!

Last edited Sun Sep 15, 2013, 03:46 AM - Edit history (1)

[Triana]

2. Today's media is owned by only about 6 HUGE corporations.

they're not corporate whores. They are corporate - period. Their business is to make money for themselves by peddling profitable corprat propaganda to the masses.

[NYC_SKP]

3. The "Big Six":

I remember when it was the "Big Ten".

[Triana]

5. Yes. There it is.

GE, in particular has business interests in the MIC and other areas. You know any media they own will promote war for instance, knowing they will profit from it. Major conflict of interest. Zero integrity.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Meanwhile, evidence continues to mount that yes, this does cause problems for peoples' water.

[Triana]

6. And earthquakes! n/t

[Igel]

7. Since it's so flawed, debunking it should be a cakewalk.

"Critical thinking" doesn't rely on fallacies, whether strawman or, in this case, ad hominem.

It's basically saying that the argument is false because of who's making the argument. In trying to show that the argument is false the first step is to entirely ignore the argument.

ODSers use the same specious reasoning. It's hard work, critical thinking but abdicating CT is simple. The fact that this report will be hard for a lot of really good critical thinking to debunk--not just point out a wrong fact or 20, but show that the incorrect facts crucially undermines major conclusions--shows that in critical thinking facts have primacy (and there is no decontextualized "critical thinking" skill possible).

/snarl off
Just got done reading a blatantly manipulative OP
that was being praised its insight and perspicacity--
in manipulating readers. I'm in no mood for
childish logical blunders touted as towering intellect
instead of as towers of poo.

[Triana]

9. Due to prior studies which have shown fracking to be dangerous

and damaging to underground water supplies and thus to human health (not to mention that it uses gargantuan amounts of fresh water to even carry out the operation) and that it may cause earthquakes - as well as the source of the report in question, I find the report's conclusions highly suspect and hardly unbiased.

There's also the fact that fracking was invented by Halliburton - Cheney's prior company. And, during the bu$h years, when our energy policy (such as it is) was written by Cheney and the only entities allowed in the secret meetings while doing so were oil & gas industry/fossil fuel execs (no environmentalists or environmental scientists) - fracking was made EXCEPT from the clean air and water act.

That also makes the practice highly suspect - nevermind the report the media is touting as legit when it clearly isn't.

I see you're a scientist. Most people aren't. They have to rely on their plain common sense when picking out fact, truth or reality from corprat profitmaking propaganda. It's good enough for me.

[Octafish]

8. Big Oil don't care about people or democracy or anything but profits.

Thanks for the heads-up, Triana. These guys are tearing up Michigan and plan to get the precious under the Great Lakes.

The solution: Nationalize them, share the profit, and make energy safe.