Star-Telegram Called Out for Barnett Shale Conflict of Interest

Self-government is not possible unless the citizens are educated sufficiently to enable them to exercise oversight. It is therefore imperative that the nation see to it that a suitable education be provided for all its citizens.
~Thomas Jefferson

Fort Worth is imploding and the Star-Telegram shoulders a huge part of the blame. In a rush to cash in on royalty money from Chesapeake Energy, the Star-Telegram forgot that it has a duty to educate the public.

Residents who signed mineral leases were not informed about all the consequences of signing and opening the gate to Big Oil.

The Texas Observer exposes the conflict of interest:

Company Town
FORT WORTH MEDIA SHILL FOR NATURAL GAS

In May 2007, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram quietly reported—in a little-noticed, 126-word brief buried deep in the paper—that it had signed a gas lease with Chesapeake Energy Corp. on 40 acres the newspaper owns in south Fort Worth. The business arrangement wasn’t all that surprising. Since 2002, Chesapeake has been drilling for natural gas all over town (under schools, churches, parks, anywhere) in the Barnett Shale formation beneath Fort Worth.

What is surprising is what came next. The Star-Telegram wrote extensively about the controversial urban gas drilling—including some glowing editorials—without ever disclosing in its news or editorial sections that the paper is making money with Chesapeake. The paper has refused to disclose even the value of the lease.

Many of the paper’s employees are “involved” with gas companies. This makes it easier to understand the decisions made but not easier to swallow those decisions.

Paul Harral, who is over the editorial page and some other editorial writers have gas leases which explains the many “cheery” Drill and Burn friendly editorials.

Linda Campbell, Op-ed writer, is married to an employee of Ackerman McQueen Chesapeake’s PR firm.

So, when Chesapeake Energy says they have bought the media it may be the most truthful claim ever made by that company.

NOTE: I do not include Mike Lee in my criticism of the Star-Telegram. He has written excellent, informative articles about the Barnett Shale drilling

Interesting things going on in Santa Fe…news manipulation…brain washing???