3 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"Why aren't we seeing more coverage of climate change in the media?
The issue is hardly going away. And now that world governments after Durban are not planning to take action 'til 2020, we need more coverage, not less.

Yet environmentalists reported a drop off in climate change reporting in 2009and 2010,
and we may well see this again when we look back at 2011.

A recent Eurobarometer poll is revealing.
The pollsters interviewed 27,000 people in 27 countries. This is a mammoth sample compared to most polls. Those interviewed were asked what they thought were the most important issues facing the world.
One might expect that Europeans would have said the economy. But no. The number one issue according to the respondents is global poverty.

The number two issue is global warming.

Global warming is, in fact, more critical now.
Emissions have gone up: in 2010 we globally emitted almost 6 percent more than in 2009. This is history's greatest one-year increase. Despite the recession, we are now emitting more than the worst case scenario set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Why cut reporting on climate change? If mainstream papers don't cover it, they are missing the story of our time.
We will need the progressive elements of the press -- as well as the blogosphere, Twitter and whatever next arises -- to tell the story.
The story won't go away.
If the mainstream media won't cover it, the public's move to alternative sources of information
will only be quicker."

http://www.huffingto...=climate-change

That's the reason for this website; to bring awareness to the subject, to discuss
the changes, to tackle the solutions and to keep the pressure on those that can
make a difference=us.

[mariaandrea]

I'm in a pessimistic mood so I'll play devil's advocate here.

The real reason the issue isn't covered more in the mainstream media? Look around you. Look at your neighbors and coworkers and the people you see on the bus. When we respond to polls like that we tell the truth about what's important to us, but when it comes to our own individual actions the story is different. Mainstream media tries to strike a balance between informing us of what's important and responding to what we want. They know what we want because they can measure online traffic and single paper issue sales. Sure, they fail miserably most of the time when it comes to "covering the news" and lots of us point that out. But, the majority of the people who read the papers and look at news sites online - and don't forget the most important people, the ones who click on advertising banners - aren't looking at the important, hard news articles. There's a reason reality TV is so popular and it isn't just the greed of rapacious TV networks. For many people it's in the mirror.

Don't believe me? Even on a site like Grist, devoted 100% to a sustainable world and covering important stories that are heard nowhere else, with excellent journalism and headlines on the most important environmental issues of the day, where the vast majority of the readership is already on board, the most viewed stories of 2011 were complete fluff. Dreck. There's a gulf between our words and our actions that we won't admit to. Even among we environmentalists.

11 from ‘11: The most-clicked Grist stories of the year

[artistry]

Both points of view are correct, We need more up-front coverage of a very important issue, but there is apathy all over. For one thing most people are hoping someone else will deal with it, but more than that, people don't want to face it or dont' want to believe it or point blank don't believe it. I will be writing to my representatives in Congress to request what their agendas are, relative to the issue. My sister is a blogger for the Huffington Post and I will be speaking with her. She has a big voice (mouth). It is important to keep trying to shine a light on the subject, even a small one. Thanks for the links. Cheers. Happy New Year.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Thanks-good points, both of you.