"ClimateGate II: How Will Al Gore and His Global Warming-Loving Media Respond?"
"Irene and Climate Change: Liberal Media Won't Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste"
- NewsBusters headlines
"The slanted coverage of the debate over global warming is on display almost every day."
- Cliff Kincaid, CampusReportOnline.net
Contrary to popular perception, perception is not reality. Many pundits have earned their climate change denier merit badges with consistent proclamations that global warming is a liberal media hoax. The media, however have not been true to their prescribed rolls. They have not been particularly liberal, nor have they been dedicated pitchmen for climate alarmism.
Not only that, the media fall short of the journalistic standard of balance established in 1996 by the Society of Professional Journalists decided they would present the most dominant and widespread positions on a given story and let the reader make their own determination. One study showed the scientific consensus of 97% getting equal billing with the minority opinion in half the articles covering climate change, and only 5.9% of the articles sampled presented the consensus exclusively. Additionally, the media are simply spending less time on the issue.
If devoting less time to climate change coverage and giving undue credence to dissenting opinion constitutes "green bias," then I think the critics have made a very strong case.
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- Folllow "What on Earth?" Climate Change Conspiracy week on Facebook
- See yesterday's "What on Earth?" conspiracy cartoon at Science Friday.