Colorado Oil and Gas now says it's the organization running a website that went after journalists by name to critique reporting it didn't agree with.
The attacks had been compiled on the new website, dubbed the Energy Accountability Project, but the site, which was running anonymously, seemed anything but accountable. Visitors could sort through critiques of various reporting by journalist; names of behind-the-scenes producers - whose names and faces aren't known to the public - were included on the drop-down menu.
The Energy Accountability Project, however, had been hiding its own identity. The "About Me" page said only that it's "sponsored by energy interests" until Wednesday evening. Colorado Oil and Gas saw a report that aired in Next and sent us a statement minutes later:
“The Energy Accountability Project is meant to provide factual information to the public and to the media covering stories concerning oil and natural gas. It’s a fact-check site, much like the media provides for politicians and others. Too often, we find reporters and elected leaders rely on activist studies, misrepresentations, and one-sided arguments for their coverage, and many times they are not responsive when we seek corrections or opportunities to tell our side of the story. That, obviously, is not true of all reporters. The website is nothing more than a place to provide facts and context often missing in media coverage. It is sponsored by COGA.”
Later in the evening, COGA decided to sort the reports by media outlet, and not by names. They also added their own name to the website.
Watch Kyle's commentary in the video above, and his update in the video below.
