<— This is a service of the Media Research Center, run by L. Brent Bozell III, founder of the Parents Television Council, which has its finger so firmly on the pulse of kid culture that it recently recommended that children watch a Boston Pops and Rascal Flatts performance on CBS.Newsbusters is alarmed by "environmental alarmists" and by "liberals" and "elites" and "ultra-leftists." Upon the death of former Fox anchor and White House spokesman Tony Snow, Newsbusters gleefully pointed out that the Huffington Post had been forced to close comments because of "hateful," "disgusting," and "disgraceful" comments that didn't show appropriate respect for the dead.
That, of course, was not the story. The story was that the Huffington Post, leftist liberals all, had the wisdom, grace, dignity, and decency to shut down the comment area when some vulgar buffoons couldn't muster enough social decorum to remove their hats and honor their fallen enemy.
When comments reopened, the point had been well made, and the strongest "criticism" the late Mr. Snow received was this: "You had a tough job, Tony. You had to lie for your government. No judgment now that you're with the universe. RIP, my fellow human." But more representative of the thoughtful comments was this: "I am a liberal, and just as cancer does not discriminate, neither do I. I'm sorry for his family's loss. Even if I disagreed 200% with his politics, he was tragically taken from this world too soon."
Is it possible that there might be some selective media-watching by an organization allegedly formed to combat selectivity in media coverage?
In a June poll, Newsbusters asked, "Who Cares Most About Global Warming?" As fair, full, and impartial response choices, it offered:
a. Average person
b. Bureaucrats
c. Elites
The poll received more than four thousand votes, with option C the clear winner. And comments! There were references to "power mad leftists," "extremists," and "sickening hypocrites," and one poster added the clever suggestion to "Save a seal, club a liberal." (Did I hear the adjective "hateful" applied somewhere?)
Then, discussion turned to the History Channel's Ice Road Truckers, with informed comments like these:
- "They are driving HUGE loads right over the frozen Arctic Ocean. So much for the Polar ice cap shrinking."
- "It was amusing to watch the loaded big rigs driving the Arctic Ocean ice right past the frozen in place ships. Gives whole new meaning to scam doesn't it." (sic)
"Not something I would ever do but it does make for some fascinating viewing. Oh, and obviously the ice cap is holding up very well."
A few minor problems: First, the show makes clear that the trucks are primarily driving over frozen inland lakes, not the Arctic Ocean. Second, the History Channel's own official press release for the series debut clearly states: "Last year, because of the effects of global warming, the ice road was closed early, leaving hundreds of tons of supplies stuck at the dispatch station." Third, the same network's description of a new site section devoted to environmental crisis states: "For whatever reason it's happening, slowly, but very surely. Global warming is a reality. The ultimate consequences of transformations to our world climate are unclear, but if history is any indication, they could be devastating."
Likewise, a few links further in, the environmental section explains that "[t]he Earth is heating up fast. Since the beginning of time, our planet has experienced warming and cooling cycles that happen naturally over thousands of years. What's remarkable about the current warming trend is the speed at which it's occurring. In the last 50 years, the average global temperature has risen at the fastest rate in recorded history, according to the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)."
The NRDC? Well, that's a bunch of treehugging hippies. Just like those punks at the United Nations and their Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Better we should ask the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), since they are Federal agencies sanctioned — and censored — by the take-no-action Bush administration. What's more, Newsbusters itself has been happy to cite NOAA-supplied information about a single aspect of climate behavior (hurricanes) that can be distorted to misrepresent the whole picture (global climate disruption).
As for the IPCC itself, Newsbusters will gladly depict that agency as a group of fraudulent, unscientific "alarmists," unlike NOAA, which helps to support the Newsbuster media-watching cause. But wait — what is this on the NOAA site? "Internationally, the IPCC, under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), is the most senior and authoritative body providing scientific advice to global policy makers."
Probably it's best that children not be allowed to observe Newsbusters or its parent organizations in action. The disgraceful selectivity and hypocrisy going on there don't serve as very good examples for young minds. Instead, children should be encouraged to do some reading:
.
Posts
2 comments:
Actually, those truckers are driving on the Arctic Ocean, I worked on the show, but that does not mean that the polar ice caps are not being affected by global warming. To the contrary, last year marked the first year that the arctic pole was not completely frozen over in the summer, allowing for the safe passage of ships through the fabled Northwest Passage. Global warming affects the area in huge ways, and is starting to erode the shores of Tuktoyaktuk in the summer, and the permafrost in the arctic is starting to get damaged from global warming as well. What I cannot understand is how many people cannot face the fact that global warming is very much real, in the face of so much evidence.
I appreciate the clarification and have adjusted wording to reflect it. Great to hear from someone who's worked on the show and recognizes the evidence first-hand. What did you do on the IRT film crew?
Post a Comment