When it comes to fracking, who are you going to believe? Hard-working farmers… (cc photo by Dennis Jarvis)
So many people believe fracking–a method of releasing oil or gas from rock—to be unsafe that hundreds of U.S. communities have voted to ban it. If you’re unsure how to feel about it, NPR would like to help with that.
The network–which receives funding from America’s Natural Gas Alliance, a pro-fracking industry group—ran a report March 20 that began by explaining that despite “all the money coming out of the ground in some places,” New York doesn’t allow fracking, which “causes landowners to feel they’re being left behind.”
Listeners meet a three-generation family of dairy farmers whose “rewarding but hard life” is that much harder because they don’t have “any natural gas wells and the income that comes with them.” Even if New York approves fracking, they still won’t make as much money as landowners in Pennsylvania, where the process was approved earlier, but, explains NPR‘s David Chanatry, “drilling would still mean jobs.”
…or Mark Ruffalo?
Who stands between these hard-working people and money and jobs coming out of the ground? It’s “actor Mark Ruffalo,” who is “one of many artists and celebrities who have embraced the anti-fracking fight.” Landowners, we’re told, “increasingly resent the antis, who they see as meddling outsiders who will never be convinced that fracking can be done safely.” Rather than hear why they should be convinced, we hear from a resenter, a woman with “six kids, three mortgages and no health insurance,” who wishes those people would “stay in Hollywood.”
So on one side, struggling family farmers, and on the other, rich celebrities from out of state. That’s a tough one. But wait—two-thirds of the way through, we learn “there is significant opposition to drilling among people sitting on gas, as well. Concerns over water use, waste disposal and impacts on the land. Their biggest fear is that drinking water will be contaminated.”
But we don’t hear from any of them, or learn whether they work hard or have kids; and the piece moves merrily to its conclusion that while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo defends the state’s approach, “many landowners” think he’s really only worried about “how fracking might affect his interest in higher office.”
down in the Gulf, remember? BP and all? they started calling NPR National Petroleum Radio.
so now it’s National Fracking Radio.
It’s one thing when the corpress propagandizes
But we pay for the privilege when “public” broadcasting takes it turn
So just how much does Jim Lehrer make?
And how long ago was it that we told those “Hollywood no gooders” should stay at home and keep their affairs to themselves, that they had no right to protest the presidents decision to bomb Iraq and then invade that country? Guess as long you ‘feel in your heart’ what is right, that isn’t good enough; you have to be told what to say by the “under represented demographic” of the petroleum industry, or you can’t possible understand anything.
When the own the information, they can bend it all they want.
NPR–Right of Center Liberals
With “friends” like NPR who needs enemies? I live in Illinois, no regulations per fracking. We are working non-stop to pass a 2 year moratorium. We want to ban it but moratorium an easier sell and time is of the essence: Industry champing at the bit to frack for natural gas AND oil here. Strata‐X Energy Ltd.’s Vail Oil Project is a high potential oil appraisal and development project with the first appraisal well due to commence in the second quarter of 2013. Strata‐X currently has a 100 percent interest in 46,300 net acres.
=http://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/125116/StrataX_Preps_to_Drill_Illinois_HZ_Appraisal
Thanks for this report. NPR radio has become a leader in both book and music reviews. They also have revenue sharing deals when they sell those books and recordings. They also praise every book and recording they talk about. FAIR doesn’t cover the arts – but they are a key to fair expression. Here’s more on NPR and arts coverage. http://musea.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/musea-report-npr-leader-in-music-promotion-but-is-it-fair/
I had the (mis)fortune to hear this story on the radio as I was driving to the grocery store, and I couldn’t believe my ears. As soon as I got home (and even before putting all my groceries away), I sat at my computer, logged onto NPR’s website, and sent their ombud a piece of my mind. His response? That they have done several shows favoring the anti-fracking side of the argument. Talk about false balance.
Prostitution: the oldest profession. We should revise our definition of prostitution to someone who gets paid (very well) not to care and talk about, and work towards, peace, justice, and the truth.
Most journalists and politicians fall in this class of prostitution. They are the worst kind. Prostitues who sell their body for the next fix or meal sell themselves. The minions of the rich and powerful sell themselves and others for fame, fortune and power. They are the scum of the earth!
Corpoorate rule is invisible to the corporate press…
NPR, right wing radio, is considered a “left wing” one by the radicals.
We are told that fracking has been going on for decades but only know are people against it. Some now say that such people are lying and exaggerating. But expect the Corporate Media to be either “neutral” (no criticism) or support fracking as very important and use their advertising for quotes.
The “Fracking” we see today – Uncoventional Horizontal drilling with high volume high pressure Slickwater Fracking- HAS NOT “BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES!!” And has NEVER happened “Safely” FACT: Development of the Marcellus shale began in 2008. Today’s drillng DOES NOT BELONG UNDER RESIDENTIAL, PARK, OR FARM AREAS AT ALL.
And the people MOST voceferous against this government-sanctioned TAKING of our communities and their current and future habitability and viability for life; are those of us who are being forced to LIVE WITH IT by a GREEDY few “Bust Exploiters” – who will profit from the devastation by driving out all the locals who can affrod to move, killing off those of us who can’t afford to move (=ALL seniors) with water that gives you sores if you shower in it (and manage not to ignite it,) and then, like the carpetbagging drillers and pipeliners, walk away from the rubble, poison-riddled arid land, and cancer ponds; counting the money they made by depopulating and torturing West Virginia to a slow agonizing Death. And THAT is what those of US, who are NOT HOLLYWOOD STARS, have to live with every day of our miserable retirement in the once pleasant, or modest but at least habitable mountains.