North Dakota’s War on 1st Amendment Goes From Bad to Worse
North Dakota has dropped criminal trespassing charges against Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman–and is instead seeking to charge her with participating in a riot.
‘All the Warning Signs Are There, Loud and Clear’
“We are in hot water and we really need to be holding politicians’ and policymakers’ feet to the proverbial fire.”
Mark Trahant on Dakota Access, Tess Borden on Criminalizing Drug Use
The standoff over the Dakota Access pipeline is not a “harbinger” of the fight to make “Keep It in the Ground” more than a slogan; harbingers are about the future, and climate disruption and the people on its frontlines are stories of today. So who’s telling that story?
Russia, Terror and Taxes Dominate Debates; Climate, Poverty, Abortion Barely Mentioned
A review of topics mentioned and questions asked in the first three presidential/vice-presidential debates shows a significant emphasis on Russia, terrorism and taxes—pushing aside most other issues, including climate change, abortion, education, campaign finance and LGBTQ rights.
Dahr Jamail on Climate Disruption, Richard Phillips on Trump’s Taxes
From vanishing ice to animal die-offs to increasing wildfires, scientists use words like “unprecedented” and “staggering” to describe the evident impacts of human-driven climate disruption. Elite media say they take it all very seriously…. How far are they from taking it seriously enough?
Dakota Access Blackout Continues on ABC, NBC News
As of this writing, no TV outlet included in the Nexis database has mentioned that independent journalist Amy Goodman was charged with trespassing for reporting on the pipeline protest. Nor has any national newspaper reported on North Dakota’s legal assault on newsgathering.
48 Words at 4 AM Is All Network News Has to Say About Pipeline Protests
The broadcast news networks have aired exactly one report on the Dakota Access Pipeline protests since the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe began an encampment against the project in April, according to a search of the Nexis news database.
‘We Are Peaceful Protectors of Water and of Health’
“This is not just a fight about this one pipeline. This is a fight to protect our planet for all of us as humanity.”
Kandi Mossett on Native American Pipeline Protests
For many people, what’s happening right now in North Dakota is a crucial story of a frontline fight of indigenous people against extractive industry—and on behalf of humanity, really, and the planet.
‘The Real Battle Is, Who’s Going to Own the Energy Supply?’
“These guys running around defending nuclear power aren’t just defending nuclear power. What they’re really about is protecting the grid, which is corporate-owned and corporate-controlled.”
David Perry on Disabilities and Police Violence, Harvey Wasserman on Nuclear vs. Renewables
The disability community is routinely marginalized in the media, making it hard to address the frequency with which law enforcement’s use of force involves people with disabilities.
Network Newscasts Ignore Global Warming’s Role in Canada’s Wildfires
Network news coverage of the massive fires ripping through Canada’s tar sands hub, as fast and furious as trailers for a Hollywood disaster movie, has missed opportunities to provide real information about the heavily polluting tar sands industry and global warming’s role in adding fuel to the flames.
Exxon ‘Knew Earlier, They Knew With Certainty and They Knew Globally’
“They knew that they could evade accountability, or at least delay regulatory and public scrutiny, by suggesting that there was doubt about the science.”
Brendan DeMelle on Exxon’s Climate Cover-Up
Exxon knew decades ago that the increase in CO2 from burning fossil fuels posed a global threat. And it acted on that information–with a conscious and vigorous effort to sow uncertainty about climate science and to forestall regulation on its industry.
‘Environmental’ Comic Strip’s Author Wants Global Warming Believers to ‘Get Real’
The leading environmental-themed comic strip in the United States, Mark Trail, is apparently written by a climate-change denier.
As December Heat Ends History’s Warmest Year, Media Still Shy Away From the Cause
As wave after wave of record-breaking high temperatures grips huge swaths of America, media coverage of the December warmth has rarely been willing to discuss its cause.
‘How Do We Move Past a Fossil Fuel-Powered World?’
“Climate change impacts all of us. It impacts both the poorest of us and the wealthiest of us in multiple aspects of our lives: from where we can live to the food we have access to, our safety in our homes and our communities.”
Jim Naureckas on ISIS Attacks, Janet Redman on Climate Conference Activism
The Paris attacks by the group known as ISIS have dominated news outlets, but if the goal really is to prevent the recurrence of such violence, then reporting that eliminates political context can’t be the way forward.
Why Corporate Media Want to Blame California’s Drought on Your Eating Avocados
California’s drought is caused by lower-than-normal precipitation coupled with higher-than-normal temperatures, not by people eating too many grapes (24 gallons for a bunch) or mandarin oranges (42.5 gallons for three).
As Drought Grips California, Networks Come Up Dry on Climate Science
When California’s drought was covered on network TV, global warming was rarely addressed, with just three mentions on ABC, two on NBC and one on CBS.
