New York Times

More Controversy Engulfs NY Times Shale Gas Reporting

Submitted by Ken Boehm on Mon, 08/01/2011 - 19:15

NY Times building photo This week the New York Times again ran a story calling into question the credibility of reporter Ian Urbina's June 27^th article, "Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush," which claims the quickly emerging shale gas industry is similar to a Ponzi scheme.

It appears Urbina crossed the line into sensational journalism with his baseless claims by failing to conduct proper background checks, and his tendency to overstate the credentials of anonymous sources. This problems with his reporting apparently have driven a wedge between Times editors trying to justify the story, and those concerned over the long-term repercussions for the paper.

NY Times Ombudsman Critical of Shale Gas 'Bubble' Stories

Submitted by Ken Boehm on Mon, 07/18/2011 - 13:13

NY Times building photo On July 7, we asked New York Times ombudsman Arthur Brisbane to look at the newspaper's front-page series on natural gas by reporter Ian Urbina, who alleged that the sector is in the grips of a speculative bubble. We specified a number of apparent ethical problems with Urbina's methods and sources.

In Sunday's paper, Brisbane addressed the central concern raised by us and many others - that Urbina ignored the fact that production of natural gas from domestic shale deposits is booming. Brisbane wrote:

NY Times Asked to Investigate Shale Gas 'Bubble' Series

Submitted by Ken Boehm on Thu, 07/07/2011 - 23:30

New York Times photo NLPC today asked the New York Times ombudsman to review the newspaper's front-page series on natural gas published last week. The articles by Ian Urbina alleged that there is a speculative bubble in natural gas drilling. We have identified a number of apparent ethical problems with Urbina's methods and sources.

Here is the complete text of my letter to The New York Times ombudsman Arthur Brisbane, whose actual title is Public Editor:

New York Papers Scrutinize Meeks Loan Scandal Figure

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 12:58

Meeks photo Edul Ahmad, the Guyanese-born businessman who made an unsecured $40,000 loan to Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), is today scrutinized by the New York Times and New York Post. Reporters started digging on Meeks after NLPC raised questions about the Queens congressman’s finances, beginning in January.

According to the New York Times piece by Danny Hakim:

DNC Donor Arrested for Threatening Rep. Cantor, Media Warns of 'Tea Party' Violence

Submitted by Alana Goodman on Tue, 03/30/2010 - 18:47

Cantor A Democratic National Committee donor was arrested on Monday for death threats that he made toward Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), but many journalists are still blaming the conservative "tea party" movement for allegedly fomenting political violence.

Philadelphia resident Norman Leboon, 33, was charged for posting a YouTube video in which he threatened to kill Cantor and his family, just days after a bullet was fired through the window of Cantor’s Richmond campaign office by an unknown gunman.

"You receive my bullets in your office, remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer's abominations," Leboon reportedly said in the video. According to Federal Election Commission filings, Leboon is a Barack Obama supporter, who donated $505 to the Democratic National Committee in June, 2008.

High-Living Congressman Meeks Blames NLPC for Scrutiny

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Sat, 03/20/2010 - 10:24

According to a New York Times story today titled “Congressman Cries Poor, but Lifestyle May Disagree” by Eric Lipton and Ray Hernandez:

Money is so tight, Representative Gregory W. Meeks says, he does not have a savings account with more than a few thousand dollars in it. And yet Mr. Meeks, one of New York City’s most prominent Democrats, lives a life worthy of a jet-setter.

When he travels, he stays in luxury hotels like the Mondrian South Beach in Miami and the Ritz-Carlton in San Juan, P.R. He drives a Lexus, leased by the federal government, at a cost of $1,000 a month. He eats expensive meals at BLT Steak in Washington and Docks Oyster Bar in Manhattan, among other trendy spots.

Later in the Times article, Meeks attacks NLPC:

NY Times: Rangel is “Gloomy”

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Mon, 11/23/2009 - 22:02

New York Times reporters Raymond Hernandez and Jim Rutenberg asserted yesterday:

There seems to be little joy in being Representative Charles B. Rangel these days…as an ethics investigation into his financial dealings continues, Mr. Rangel’s once-considerable clout is diminished and his spirits are often gloomy, friends and associates say, even as he begins to fight back.

Shouldn’t it be taxpayers who are gloomy as long as Rangel remains in office? Each new revelation about Rangel’s finances points to a pattern of corner cutting and corruption that has gone on for decades.