Environmentalist-media reform coalition petitions TV networks to look at causes of climate disruptions.
from the League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club and Media Matters for America
WASHINGTON DC, April 2, 2013 — The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Sierra Club and Media Matters for America have launched a campaign demanding that ABC, NBC and CBS provide more climate change coverage during their evening newscasts. The petition campaign follows a recent Media Matters study that found that these networks featured only 12 climate change segments combined in 2012, a year of extreme weather and record-breaking heat waves nationwide.
“The new year shouldn’t bring the same old coverage. It’s time the nation’s top evening newscasts give climate change the coverage it deserves. If we want to see action to address this issue, the media needs to connect the dots between climate change and the extreme weather we’re seeing right outside our windows,” said Vanessa Kritzer, LCV Online Campaigns Manager.
“It’s disheartening that in a year that saw record-breaking heat, massive wildfires and Hurricane Sandy, the networks failed to help their viewers understand the connections to climate change,” said Emilee Pierce, Media Matters.
"These are the top rated newscasts in the country. It's disheartening that in a year that saw record-breaking heat, massive wildfires and Hurricane Sandy, the networks failed to help their viewers understand the connections to climate change," said Emilee Pierce, Media Matters Energy and Climate Program Director. "Imagine if the same networks had covered mass layoffs in 2008 without mentioning broader economic trends. Leaving out the climate context for certain extreme weather events is no different."
A recent Media Matters for America study found that ABC World News did only one segment about climate change last year, NBC Nightly News did only four and CBS Evening News devoted just seven segments to this critical issue.
This lack of coverage came at a time when much of the country experienced climate change-fueled extreme weather, including extraordinary heat waves, severe drought and the devastating impacts of Hurricane Sandy. LCV, Sierra Club and Media Matters have set a goal of getting 60,000 Americans nationwide to sign the petition demanding that these networks provide more reporting on climate change, talk about it during their extreme weather coverage, and make it clear that global warming is not a disputed theory, it’s a fact.
Dear Mr. Corn, Ms. Shelvin, and Mr. Burkey,
Every night, tens of millions of people tune into the news on the major broadcasting networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC, expecting to learn about the most pressing issues facing our families and our nation. Given the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, we urge you to put global warming at the top of that list.
After experiencing the hottest year ever recorded in the United States and a series of devastating extreme weather events including wildfires, droughts, and storms like Hurricane Sandy, the American people deserve to know how our changing climate is fueling this extreme weather and what we can do about it.
That can only happen if you devote more coverage to climate change, report on future extreme weather in a climate context, and interview more climate scientists who will be able to accurately connect the dots between human activity, climate change, and the weather we have been experiencing. Yet, a recent study by Media Matters for America found that last year climate change was only featured in 12 segments on your nightly news programs combined.
Confronting the climate crisis is the challenge of our generation, and we urge you to honor the best traditions in American journalism by putting the focus on science and accurately reporting on climate change.
We look forward to watching your thorough, accurate coverage of climate change in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
Sign the petition on the LCV website
About League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is turning environmental values into national priorities. To secure the environmental future of our planet, LCV's mission is to advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt and implement such policies.
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