Updates
June 7, 2012: I originally posted this some days/weeks ago, but then pulled it because I felt I had underestimated the significance of this spill. Be that as it may, the background to the source of the story remains important in light of another story in the Dickinson Press this date. The more recent story regards the Keystone XL, the EPA, and south Texas. That story is attributed to InsideClimate News but the name of the author is not provided. At InsideClimate News, the story is attributed to Lisa Song.
I can't put my finger on it, but something bothers me about the relationship between the Dickinson Press and InsideClimate News if subscribers are not aware of the relationship. Maybe they are, but something about this whole thing bothers me. Dickinson Press subscribers should explore InsideClimate News and decide for themselves.
Original Post
I think the linked article is an important story for those who are intimately involved with the oil and gas industry. I think this is an important article for a trade journal. I appreciated being able to read it. I learned a bit -- how difficult it is to sort out, in real time, "anomalous" data as it is coming in. I am impressed with engineers able to trouble-shoot a problem and respond.
I can't imagine the average Dickinson Press reader reading beyond the headline -- a story about a spill that occurred two years ago; a spill that had no lasting environmental impact; a spill that was controlled fairly quickly; and, in the big scheme of things, a non-story.
It should be noted that Enbridge has a huge presence in North Dakota, but this spill, as far as I know, had nothing to do with operations in North Dakota. Enbridge is a Canadian company and the spill took place a thousand miles to the east of Dickinson, give or take a few hundred miles.
In the linked article above, David Sassoon, The Dickinson Press, is listed as the reporter.
In this article, David Sassoon, InsideClimate News, is listed as the reporter.
According to their website, the mission of InsideClimate News is:
Our mission is to produce clear, objective stories that give the public and decision-makers the information they need to navigate the heat and emotion of climate and energy debates.David Sassoon, is the Founder & Publisher of InsideClimate News.
I assume this is the same David Sassoon, but do not know for sure. If so, he resides in Brooklyn. But it appears that David Sassoon is now on the staff of The Dickinson Press if the byline in the Press is correct. The AP can pick up the article and attribute it to The Dickinson Press, I would assume.
The Dickinson Press default position is anti-hydrocarbon and anti-development as is their parent owner Forum Communications.
ReplyDeleteThey can come out with some positive articles about the western North Dakota oil industry but they also feel a need to satisfy their mentors.
Quit a conflicted behavior they have. Must be hard to decide what hat to wear.
Agree completely.
DeleteI am quite impressed with how much reporting they do on a daily basis with regard to the oil patch but you hit the nail on the head with regard to their editorial position regarding growth and oil.