09.26.11
Unfair and unbalanced
Sharon Wilson who blogs at Bluedaze on her dis-invite from the Texas Tribuue’s Festival. The Texas Tribune inadvertently demonstrates the importance of the 1st amendment.
This past weekend, The Texas Tribune, the nonprofit news site that enjoys a higher profile in the journalism world (than it would otherwise) thanks to its partnership with The New York Times, held a lecture-and-networking event on the University of Texas campus in Austin.
I was invited to appear on a panel after the showing of the documentary Haynesville: A Nation’s Hunt for an Energy Future.
[...]
I saw I was the token enviro on the panel, but I’ve been a turd in the punchbowl before. I did want to know how the panel would be structured, and if I would have an opportunity to correct their misinformation.
I sent back the following email:
I am quite surprised that your panel is so unbalanced. I would like to get more information on how this panel will work. I don’t mind being the token environmental person as long as I have an opportunity to give my vast experiences living in the gas patch and working with people who are suffering from natural gas drilling that is too close to their homes.
The next thing I know: I received a phone call from the festival coordinator notifying me that I was uninvited to participate. Maybe they would find a more suitable panel for me sometime. Ouch! But, on second thought, I reclaimed my weekend and shrugged it off to the influence from T. Boone Pickens, one of the festival’s financial backers.
[...]
Maybe there is an explanation of the Tribune’s behavior that isn’t explained by financial influence of the natural gas industry. But if there is, it is past time for them to make their case. And from where I sit, it better be a doozy
This is the first sentence at the Texas Tribune’s the About Us page.
The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that promotes civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, government, and other matters of statewide concern.
When this venture started many thought it would be an independent voice that was lacking in Texas media. Sadly, though it’s produced some good things, it’s turned out more like the Texas version of the national insider/villager web site Politico.