After the Drought: Will Climate Reporting Take Off?

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:


After the Drought: Will Climate Reporting Take Off?
After the release of a report on links between extreme weather and climate change, Americans may get what polls show 80 percent of us want: more environmental reporting in mainstream news.

by Heidi Bruce
posted Aug 22, 2012


Environmentalists have been dismayed for years to see mainstream media in the United States, especially television news, failing to convey the reality of climate change and the urgency of an official response. But there may have been a breakthrough in broadcast television news halfway through this summer’s record-breaking extreme weather events.

A study by watchdog group Media Matters shows that in 2011, major broadcast networks spent more than twice as much time talking about Donald Trump as they did about climate change. The study states that in 2011, when they did discuss climate change, the major Sunday news shows (ABC’s This Week, CBS’s Face the Nation, NBC’s Meet the Press, and Fox News Sunday) consulted political and media figures—but not scientists. Of those interviewed, 50 percent were political figures—including elected officials, strategists and advisers—and 45 percent were from the media.

This lack of fact-based coverage has not been due to public disinterest. A recent poll by the Opinion Research Corporation reveals that nearly 80 percent of Americans want to see more environmental news in mainstream media. The poll—commissioned by the Project for Improved Environmental Coverage—indicates that, regardless of age, race, income, or region, Americans believe the media should improve coverage of the environment.

The trend of underreporting environmental news—specifically, climate change—looked set to continue over the summer of 2012, even during extreme weather events like the destructive wildfires in Colorado. A possible connection between climate change and wildfires, which affected areas in 14 states, went virtually without mention, according to Media Matters. Their analysis of news coverage from April 1 to June 30, 2012 revealed that only 3 percent of news reports on wildfires in the West mentioned climate change. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/its-your-body/tipping-point-for-climate-news-coverage

[Esse Quam Videri]

1. Maybe they should do a follow up

to this story and lay out in detail who owns each of the national news organizations and each of their ties to Big Business. One needs to look no farther than that as to why there is not more coverage of climate change.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. No

Imagine, “Oh, it’s another story on the climate! What’s on the other channel?”

[kraj8995]

3. climate reporting

Reporting for climate is the most troublesome work.It needs a correct information and lots of research work.

[hatrack]

4. No chance. Today's lead story? Lance Armstrong.