On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:21:04 +0100, "Alastair McDonald"
k wrote:

Here is an article from the scientific press which reinforces my views of the
misreporting of the global warming "debate" by the BBC. It is not only in hte
US that the balance is biased!

I interpreted the paper as saying that because the reporting was
*balanced* - not biased - because of "journalistic balance" - that not
enough weight is being given to global warming. That GW is even worse
than the papers make out as the press is trying to be so balanced in
its reporting.

Part of the conclusion states "The central messages in the
generally-agreed-upon scientific discourse have therefore not be
proliferated by the mass media into the popular arena".

The author states

"The proper response to public doubts is not to increase the public's
technical knowledge about and therefore belief in the scientific facts
of global war,ing. Rather it should be to increase the public
understanding of and therefore trust in the social process through
which those facts are scientifically determined".

I think the author is saying - stuff the science, if we present global
warming using good drama, then the public will take note.

But I see the BBC as *not* giving a balanced view of GW. I haven't
seen or heard documentaries talking about global staying pretty much
the same, some years better, some years worse.

Jeepers. Last years fabulous summer was blamed on global warming. And
so is this years dire summer. "Worst August on record" screams the
BBC, ignoring all the other wetter Augusts.

Anyway, I'm even more confused now.

Noz

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