News Outlets Backed by Big Oil Ads Are Quiet After UN Chief’s Call for Ban
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Jun 07, 2024
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was unequivocal this week in his call for a global ban on fossil fuel advertising—but while outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times covered his remarks on Wednesday, the corporate media showed little sign of abiding by Guterres demand that they stop helping oil and gas companies to “greenwash” their climate records and their effects on the planet.
The Guardianreported Friday that it received few responses when it reached out to 11 major news organizations and tech companiesincluding Politico and Meta, with a spokesperson for Politico defending its practice of running fossil fuel advertisements alongside news coverage.
“Advertisers are prominently identified, and a clear distinction between news and ads, including sponsored content, is maintained acrossPolitico‘s platforms,” said the spokesperson. “No advertiser or advertisement sways editorial decisions or news judgment.”
But as Harvard climate disinformation expert Naomi Oreskes told The Guardian, regardless of their ad policies, outlets like Politico, CNN, and others are likely clouding their audiences’ understanding of the gravity of the climate emergency by reporting on the issue—only to then display ads by the companies that are responsible for heating the planet.
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https://www.commondreams.org/news/fossil-fuel-ads-2668478437
