25 January 2021, Renew Economy, One year after “Black Summer” bushfire crisis, media misinformation still burns. During Australia’s Black Summer bushfire crisis, misinformation raged alongside the flames. Large media outlets pushed the line that the sheer intensity of the crisis could be explained by a sudden surge in arson attacks, using an inflated number that simply kept growing in size. This falsehood was presented as a counter to the widespread assumption that climate change had played a major role in making that bushfire season so wildly catastrophic and unusual. That misinformation was eventually firmly debunked. About 0.09% of the fires in New South Wales were found to be deliberately lit, and all of these were minor spot fires, found the NSW Royal Commission report, and the federal equivalent firmly pins climate change as a major cause. Much of the initial misinformation was driven by 7 News Australia, first with a post claiming the following: Read more here
Tag Archives: Deniers
31 January 2020, The Conversation, Media ‘impartiality’ on climate change is ethically misguided and downright dangerous. In September 2019, the editor of The Conversation, Misha Ketchell, declared The Conversation’s editorial team in Australia was henceforth taking what he called a “zero-tolerance” … Continue reading →
12 December 2019, The Conversation, Grattan on Friday: Climate winds blowing on Morrison from Liberal party’s left. Scott Morrison is picking up that Australia’s devastating, prolonged fires are producing a soured, anti-government mood among many in the community. It may not be … Continue reading →
16 October 2019 Renew Economy: Government blocks crossbench motion to declare a climate change emergency. The Morrison Government has blocked a motion in Federal parliament to declare a climate emergency, and refused efforts from the crossbench to even discuss the proposal. Greens … Continue reading →