Shortly after the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that raised questions about the adequacy of government regulations, the New York Times assigned reporter Ian Urbina to undertake an investigation of onshore natural gas extraction.
The method, known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," and the disposal of the return water has elicited contentious claims about both the science and economics of gas extraction.
Urbina talks about the latest developments in the fracking debate and about the role and responsibilities of newspaper reporting. His October 4, 2011 talk was the annual Kops Freedom of the Press Lecture.