Separating Fact from Fiction – GAIN Launches Fact Checker Site
In an era of fake news, misinformation is too often allowed to seep into our lives, ultimately harming our ability to develop informed opinions. This unfortunate reality is particularly relevant when it comes to our nation’s energy infrastructure, where false narratives have been allowed to undermine critical investments, threaten livelihoods, and restrict access to valuable domestic energy resources.
The spread of misinformation about energy infrastructure projects is not a new phenomenon, countless projects including the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines have been the targets of coordinated disinformation campaigns. In the case of the Dakota Access Pipeline, misinformation spread so quickly that policymakers, members of the media, and the public were often unable to separate fact from fiction. During that time, the GAIN Coalition’s predecessor—the Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now—worked diligently to correct the record, providing candid, fact-based, and well-sourced information about the project.
Building on that commitment, the GAIN Coalition today launched a new website dedicated to countering misinformation. Through fact checking and original reporting, GAINFactChecker.org will provide straightforward, evidence-based analysis in order to increase the public’s knowledge and understanding of pipeline infrastructure.
In launching the site, Craig Stevens, the spokesman for the GAIN Coalition, said, “We’re proud to continue our role as a fact-based, well sourced and unimpeachable voice on the truth about energy infrastructure. We understand that there are raw emotions on both sides of the debate, so we seek to be an honest resource for individuals, policymakers, and the media to get trusted information.”
GAINFactChecker.org is a project of Grow America’s Infrastructure Now (GAIN) – a diverse coalition of businesses, trade associations, and labor groups that work to create jobs and strengthen our nation’s economy through infrastructure development.