24 Hours of Unreality

We are on the eve of "24 Hours of Climate Reality," Al Gore's latest propaganda effort.  It is just too easy to make fun of Al Gore (and I've had lots of fun doing that in the past), so I'm not going to do it in this post.  


What I'd like to focus on is the international media's uncritical reporting of Gore's efforts. For all intents and purposes, they simply reprint whatever Gore's organization distributes. Here are a couple of examples,


International Business Times

Former Vice President Al Gore plans to renew his 30-year campaign to convince skeptics of the link between man-made pollution and global warming this week in a 24-hour global multimedia event.

• Enlarge

Called "24 Hours of Reality," the campaign, known as the Climate Reality Project, will broadcast a new presentation about climate change every hour for 24 hours across 24 different time zones from Wednesday to Thursday. 


Reuters

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will renew his 30-year campaign to convince skeptics of the link between climate change and extreme weather events this week in a 24-hour global multi-media event.

"24 Hours of Reality" will broadcast a presentation by Al Gore every hour for 24 hours across 24 different time zones from Wednesday to Thursday, with the aim of convincing climate change deniers and driving action against global warming among households, schools and businesses.

Virtually identical wording. In other words, they simply reprinted Gore's press release. Reuter's even uses Gore's offensive term, "deniers." 


According to Reuter's own "Trust Principles," it is supposed to conform to: 

1. That Thomson Reuters shall at no time pass into the hands of any one interest, group or faction;
2. That the integrity, independence and freedom from bias of Thomson Reuters shall at all times be fully preserved;
3. That Thomson Reuters shall supply unbiased and reliable news services to newspapers, news agencies, broadcasters and other media subscribers and to businesses governments, institutions, individuals and others with whom Thomson Reuters has or may have contracts;

"Unbiased"? "Integrity"? Uncritically printing Gore's press releases hardly seems consistent with Reuter's own principles.

Keep this bias in mind if you read or hear any coverage of Gore's event the next couple of days.

In the meantime, Gore's group has released this "promo" for the upcoming event. Can hardly wait.