This is an interesting tale
(for me) about how an independent journalist discovered a major news
story, and the effort it takes to get this story into the "legitimate"
news and print media.
- Aug 22, 2012: Brett Jennings first
told me about black water in Great Bend Borough PA coincident with
fracking operations,
14 miles upstream of the intake for the City of
Binghamton. I recorded an interview with him, then let the story sit for a week.
- Sept 5: I finally spend a day to write up the story, and I publish it. But-- I'm just a blogger, not a "credentialed" professional journalist.
http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/is- binghamtons-water-already- affected.html
So I started calling and emailing every outlet in town, almost daily.... and no one would touch it.
- Sept 7: Then two days later after I publish this:
http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/do-you-live-in-ny-and-think-your-water.html
Protecting our Waters picked it up in their blog.
http://protectingourwaters.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/has- binghamtons-water-already- been-affected-by-fracking/
- Sept 9: Then three days after, blogger TX-Sharon (Bludaze) picked it up:
http://www.texassharon.com/2012/09/10/fyi-binghamton- fracking-water-flows/
- Sept 10: Karen Edelstein (Fractracker) reports the exact number is 98 unconventional gas wells upstream of Binghamton.
I sound the alarm: http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/city-of-binghamtons-water-is-unsafe-98.html
NOTE: I never claimed proof that Binghamton's water was in fact contaminated.
- Sept 11: Still calling, emailing, blogging, asking people to help by calling the press:
http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/urgent-please-call-press-every-day.html
Someone from the Press and Sun, anonymously send me this message via Facebook:
"We ask again: What independent verification - we mean water samples that have beenThis person clearly does not understand my assertions, even after I carefully explained them.
tested by an independent lab - do you have to back your contention toxic material is
entering the Binghamton water supply."
This person refuses to identify their name. "You are talking to the Press & Sun-Bulletin."
Huh, I've never spoken to a legal fiction before.
- Sept 16: I learn from emails which people have sent to me, that the anonymous person
is actually Jeff Platsky: http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/jeff-platsky-re-binghamton-water-story.html
- Sept 20: Then 15 days after my first posting, Buck Quigley of ARTVOICE picked it up:
http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2012/09/20/is- binghamtons-water-at-risk/
...then it started going really viral on the internet.
- Sept 22: Frack Action picked it up:https://www.facebook.com/
photo.php?fbid= 503651442980423&set=a. 289293371082899.79840. 134846486527589&type=1&theater
...again, many viral shares on social media...
At 6pm, I aired a 2-hour edit (mostly about this story) on my Public Access TV show.
Yet, there remained a LOCAL MEDIA BLACKOUT
-
Monday Sept 24: And then on day 19, until Jim Ehmke ran with it and did a very good story:
http://www.newschannel34.com/news/local/story/Binghamton- Water-Testing/ XlBGLdj4PEKxziLjv8cfWg.cspx
-
Tuesday Sept 25: Then on day 20, Fox 40 did a story:
http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=25006
Still nothing in the "newspaper of record" for the area, the Press and Sun Bulletin. - Wed Sept 26: It's worse than I thought-- the drinking water for 160,000 NY residents is at risk:
http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/binghamton-waverly-corning-ny-water-at.html - Fri Sept 28: I release the Train Video excerpt, which illustrates the magnitude of the amount of toxic chemicals introduced into a region of Binghamton's headwaters of area ~280 sq. mi.-- 8,500 tons:
http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2012/09/is-ny-water-is-safe-from-fracking.html - On Sat Sept 29: I release a new edit to Public Access TV, with some additions and fixing one spelling error.
- Thursday, Oct 4: I release the new 53min edit to youtube:
October 4 is day 30. When will the Press and Sun cover this story?
Please call the Press and Sun Bulletin and ask them to inform the residents of the City of Binghamton there are 98 unconventional gas wells in the headwaters region of the drinking water, with active fracking going on NOW, and overall 160,000 NY residents whose water is at risk:
- Calvin Stoval: (Executive Editor) (607) 798-1186
- Al Vieira (Managing Editor) (607) 798-1374
- News desk: 607-798-1151
Email: bgm-newsroom@gannett.com,
Email is preferred: WilliamAHuston@gmail.com
Phone: 607-321-7846
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