To: NPR -- Think Twice About Fracking
National Public Radio should think twice about their “sponsors”
From a Post by Environmental Action, November 2014
Most Americans consider NPR an independent media organization, so it might surprise you that one of its biggest corporate sponsors is the American Natural Gas Alliance, a front group that exists only to promote some of the worst energy polluters in America.
The ANGA has been an NPR corporate sponsor for months, using its airtime to promote the misleading ‘think about it’ campaign that is in fact a promotion for the dangerous and destructive drilling process known as fracking.
NPR’s financial dependence on the fracking industry could be fouling its news coverage, just like fracking fouls up our air, water and climate. Fracking puts America on a path toward a bleak energy future, with polluted land, flammable tap water and earthquakes.
Meanwhile, clean, green energy sources like wind and solar can provide 99 percent of our electric, transportation and manufacturing power needs. No fracking required. Even better — every time we choose renewable energy over oil, coal and gas, we reduce emissions, lower the cost of energy and create jobs.
When trusted news outlets like NPR take money from ANGA and repeat their deceptive marketing claptrap — on OUR airwaves — we have to question their objectivity. Sign up here to tell NPR that when it comes to fracking, don’t even think about it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
When NPR started airing pro-fracking messages, I was annoyed. But now that they’ve also announced plans to close down virtually all their environmental coverage — leaving just one part time reporter to cover fracking, the climate crisis, and more —now I’m frankly alarmed.
NPR has always said that we shouldn’t worry about the fracking ads, because they won’t impact news coverage. But last month, they announced plans to dramatically reduce their staff covering the environment and climate change.*
All this week, dozens of protesters have been sitting in, speaking out and even getting arrested over at the offices of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which is just a few blocks from NPR’s office. But they couldn’t spare a reporter even one day this week to cover the fact that FERC rubber stamping fracking projects that destroy towns, and being met with hundreds of protesters everywhere they go.**
We need to tell NPR that this is not acceptable. We need to show them that radio covering the fracking boom and the climate crisis is engaging, smart, and essential. And we need to ask the local affiliates from New York to Sacramento and everywhere in between, to join us in sending that message.
Thanks for tuning in to the planet, and tuning out pollution,
Signed: Drew Hudson and the team at Environmental Action
* Joe Romm, NPR Guts Its Environment And Climate Reporting Team, Becomes ‘Part Of The Problem’, Think Progress, October 24, 2014
** Hannah Northey, More activists arrested as climate demonstration continues at FERC, Energy and Environment News Greenwire, November 4, 2014
Point Your RSS Reader to FrackCheckWV.net/feed/
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Several weeks ago, I registered “thinktwiceaboutit.com” in order to establish a mechanism for green energy advocates to respond, rebut, rebuke, and ridicule ANGA’s NPR-facilitated “deceptive marketing claptrap.”
I am a member of Communities for Safe and Sustainable Energy, in Oberlin, Ohio, an anti-fracking organization.
The general public needs to understand and respond.
Let’s stay in touch. DES
While I totally agree with the anti-fracking campaign, or what’s left of it, NPR is one of the only news outlets to continue to cover the ongoing devastation of the foreclosures sweeping the country.
What used to be communities are rapidly becoming fiefdoms, thanks to real estate brokers.
Why don’t we look for real social justice instead of self serving wah wah wah…?
It is sad that NPR and so many other media outlets do not explain that renewable energy is the future of energy. I have seen statistics that show the comparison on job creation. The numbers showed that based on the same money invested, renewable energy created many more jobs than fossil fuels.
The reality is that the vast majority of scientists agree (97-98%) that climate change is real and fossil fuels must be phased out as an energy source. If corporations were as assertive and motivated to produce renewable energy we could have these jobs, and further more, we would be acting with a sense of urgency concerning our environment.
The sooner we address these issues the better — but it requires vision, objectivity and the desire to see future generations have a healthy environment.
In WV all you hear is how coal, oil and gas provide jobs yet we are ranked as one of the states with higher poverty and higher forms of illness by comparison to the other states. With that in mind, we could look to renewable energy and create jobs. It all starts with having accurate science and educating with hopes of developing solutions. We have every opportunity and if we start integrating renewable energy on a massive scale our dependance on fossil fuels would be reduced thus helping future generations, providing jobs in a healthier environment.