Media Matters : NY Times Anti-Ethanol Op-Ed Was By Pro-Oil Writer

  • Thursday, 12 March 2015 00:00

On March 10, the New York Times carried an op-ed titled, "End the Ethanol Rip-Off." As one can deduce from the title, the op-ed contained many false statements on ethanol. Media Matters for America has revealed that the op-ed's author, Robert Bryce, has close ties to the oil industry.

All op-eds are biased but Media Matters for America says in a blog posting the Times failed to "disclose Bryce's financial incentive to attack the RFS, identifying him only as a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the author of a new report from the institute, 'The Hidden Corn-Ethanol Tax.'"

"The Manhattan Institute has, in fact, received millions from oil interests over the years, including $635,000 from ExxonMobil and $1.9 million from Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, where Charles Koch and his wife sit on the board of directors. Koch made his fortune from oil and currently has significant holdings in oil and gas operations."

"Bryce is, in essence, acting as a spokesperson for the oil industry, which has much to gain from weakening or repealing the RFS."

Media Matters for America added that "these financial ties might explain why Bryce's op-ed was peppered with industry myths, including that renewable fuel can damage car engines (this has been proven wrong) and is bad for the environment (ethanol's lower greenhouse gas emissions are better for the climate)."

In fact, it said Bryce had written a similar op-ed in the Times in 2011 that also attacked renewable energy policies. Interestingly enough, it added, that op-ed led to a backlash from journalists who wrote to the Times requesting the paper to disclose financial conflict of interests its op-ed contributors may have.