Proposed New Years Resolution for People in the Media!

An organization called the Business & Media Institute issued a report on how the media have silenced critical views on global warming. They found:

1. For every skeptical voice the TV media presented 13 in favour of the human causes global warming theory. (CBS was a 1:38 ratio).

2. Most of the people talking about global warming on TV are not scientists. In fact, less than 15% of those asked to discuss the issue were any kind of scientist at all and even fewer were climate change scientists. Most of the presenters on the issue were politicians or lobbyists (including environmental lobbyists).

3. When presenting so-called “solutions” (themselves predicated on the man made cause for global warming theory), almost no one discussed the costs of the solutions so far proposed (which are estimated at $6 trillion US for the US alone). Only 11% of the time was any reference made to costs.

4. How the media handle the story is slightly different. CBS does not really tolerate critical voices on this issue (4 skeptics versus 151 proponents during 2007 and none of the skeptics were scientists). ABC, in contrast, included skeptics in app. 36% of its stories. All outlets use words like “definitive” and “unequivocal” when referring to IPCC reports on the issue – a downright denial of the growing skepticism within the scientific community about the value of the IPCC’s claims.

So here is a new years resolution suggestion for the media: Commit to going back to being journalists rather than lobbyists and report this story in a more balanced way – include skeptics, look at the facts not just the claims about the facts and ask what the “solutions” will actually cost and whether this is the best use of the money. Then we can start believing in the media again.