NPR: GoMarcellusShale.com more Trustworthy than Gasland (tell us something we didn't know)

JUNE 16, 2014
BY 

A new study shows the public views both the natural gas industry and the anti-fracking film, Gasland, as among the least trustworthy sources of information when it comes to hydraulic fracturing.

According to a paper published last month in Energy Research and Social Science, people are more likely to trust information from university professors, environmental groups, newspapers, and landowner groups.

Regulatory agencies ranked fifth in trustworthiness among the eight possible choices. They were followed by cooperative extensions and the natural gas industry.

Gasland filmmaker Josh Fox. The Oscar-nominated film was ranked by survey respondents as the least trustworthy source of information on fracking.

The 2010 film, Gasland, came in last place.

Although newspapers were ranked as the number one source of information, they came in third for trustworthiness– behind professors and environmental groups.

The results come from telephone and mail surveys conducted during the summer of 2012 of people who live in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale region. The paper was a collaboration among researchers from Sam Houston State University in Texas, Penn State University, and Texas A&M.

“There’s so much information in the media from so many different stakeholders,” says lead author Gene Theodori of Sam Houston State. “The general population is just trying to sort through all this information.”

Here’s how survey respondents ranked different sources of information.

Where people get information:

1. newspapers

2. natural gas industry

3. conservation/environmental groups

4. landowner groups/coalitions

5. regulatory agencies

6. cooperative extension

7. university professors

8. Gasland (film by Josh Fox)

 

Trust in sources of information:

1. university professors

2. conservation/environmental groups

3. newspapers

4. landowner groups/coalitions

5. regulatory agencies

6. cooperative extension

7. natural gas industry

8. Gasland

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on June 18, 2014 at 2:58pm

Strange results.   I would never trust professors. Look at the guy from Cornell.  He has been seriously embarrassed by his 'results.'  There is a guy from the U of Duquesne in Pittsburgh that has been going around making questionable claims.  And conservation/enviro groups?  The Sierra Club was for fracking until it got a lot donations and then they were suddenly against it. Yeah, thats an unbiased source of info.

 

Permalink Reply by David Perotto on June 18, 2014 at 3:23pm

And there is the trustworthy media. Man, every time I read an article about fracing I think boy these journalists are soo smart. Their regurgitation of the above mentioned enviro group talking points is slick as hell. They actually get paid to mimic the propaganda, where do I sign up and get a gig doing this?

On a serious note, these agenda driven journalists have influenced the masses to believe their BS. This influence has hurt our country and in doing so hurts our economy. Imagine the development that would be in place by now if these socialists were not spreading their lies.

Permalink Reply by craig on June 18, 2014 at 4:28pm

Yep  David, the mantra of repeat it often enough and it will become the truth still holds true. 

Permalink Reply by Dan on June 19, 2014 at 1:01am
Guess you'll never be able to be a geologist or petroleum engineer or any other field that requires an education. No wonder some folks don't trust the energy industry, their leaders all were indoctrinated in school. With that kind of rationalization you certainly can't trust your church leaders either. Must be pretty scary for you to seek medical advice since health professionals were exposed to those nasty professors too. Let's just close all the schools since so many geniuses learn all they need on the street or on the farm.
Permalink Reply by MJ on June 19, 2014 at 2:54am

I believe most of our current "geniuses" are/ were educated on the internet. 

Permalink Reply by Ronald L. Rohr Jr. on June 19, 2014 at 4:08am

the best education is for them to get off their butts and experience the job in the field to bad all they want is to sit on their butt's and act like big shots that don't get anything done just my thoughts; a person who has learned from on the job traing not just books.

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