Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Almost

Media Matters notes that an hour-long CNN special about the effects of climate change did not mention its human causes (thus avoiding discussion of ways to limit human impact). Instead, "the program focused overwhelmingly on safeguard measures to protect against "inevitable" extreme weather, without mentioning the role of manmade greenhouse gas emissions."

The simplest explanation for this is that acknowledging the human role in climate change is a partisan issue and CNN wants to avoid accusations of bias. Republicans who deny science to the detriment of future humanity deserve blame, of course, but CNN is to blame for unwillingness to address reality -- in the name of politically balanced coverage. One way to inoculate yourself against accusations of bias would be to educate your audience on important issues of the day. This might require a 24-hour news network.

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