“Who Is at ‘Fault?’” The Media and the Stories of Induced Seismicity

Abstract

Media attention to earthquake risks linked to the underground injection of produced waters from oil and gas fracking operations has increased over the past few years. However, little scholarly attention has been devoted to newspaper coverage of events and state policy actions that are associated with “induced seismicity.” A key concern addressed in this article is whether newspaper coverage is largely unrestrained or is restricted by other factors. Is coverage by differing newspapers influenced by frames emphasizing the economic importance of oil and gas production within the state? We conclude that the answer is “yes” based on information gleaned from content analyses of newspapers in Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas from 2009 through 2014.Related Articles Delshad, Ashlie B. 2013. “.” Politics & Policy 41 (): 213‐240. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12009/abstract Lavery, Lesley. 2013. “.” Politics & Policy 41 (): 877-910. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12051/full Johnson, Tyler. 2012. “.” Politics & Policy 40 (): 1053‐1080. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00398.x/full Related Media USGS. n.d. “Induced Earthquakes.” https://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/induced/ Earthquakes in Oklahoma. 2016. “FAQs.” https://earthquakes.ok.gov/faqs/ Oklahoma's Rise in Quakes Linked to Man‐Made Causes. 2016. CBSNews.com. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-oklahoma-rise-in-quakes-linked-to-man-made-causes/