Oz Broadcast Regulator Requires Denialist Shock Jock To Undergo Reality Training

[hatrack]

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The debate about climate change is dogged – possibly even defined – by its interminable, intractable tug of war over the "facts". A hand grenade is lobbed into no-man's land triggering a volley of return fire. But, when the dust settles, can anyone truly claim to have advanced their position?

Of course, the art of "manufacturing doubt" has long been in the playbook of those hoping or needing to divert attention away from evidence. We saw it a generation ago with smoking, just as we see it today with climate change. But knowing how this blatant tactic is deployed doesn't make it any easier to nullify or deter. Compounding the problem is the speed at which "facts" can now spread unchallenged across the internet. Rebutting or contextualising inaccuracies takes expertise and, above all, time and energy.

This week has witnessed two text-book examples of this phenomenon in action. First, we had an article in the Mail of Sunday with the arresting headline that "Global warming stopped 16 years ago". Predictably, it was picked up and repeated across the world by news outlets keen to push that line. A day or so later the rebuttals and clarifications from scientists started to land, but the meme had already gained purchase with those seeking such confirmation.

And then we heard the extraordinary news that Alan Jones, the Australian climate sceptic shock jock, had been ordered by the country's media regulator (full ruling here) to undertake "factual accuracy" training, and to employ fact-checkers, following one of his infamous near-daily rants about the climate "hoax".

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/oct/19/climate-change-facts-journalism

[AverageJoe90]

1. Good! Cheers to the Aussie government for teaching that idiot a lesson.

Now, if only we could get the U.S. government to do the same, not just for those idiot deniers, and so-called anti-AGW 'skeptics', like Monckton, Christy, Booker(the "we can't stop Co2 from doubling!" fellow). et al.; but also for those very few fringe "climate apocalypse" people, as well(yes, mainly the "humanity is going (inevitably) to die out", "we can't stop global warming" and "Earth WILL turn into Venus" set.). That would really help us, I think. Fact checkers? I'm thinking they could hire people like Peter Sinclair(our very own greenman3610!), Katherine Hayhoe, and the Skeptical Science guys for starters; they're all really good, IMHO.