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Despite Broad Coverage Of Global Warming Deniers Conference, Right Wing Slams Media For ‘Ignoring’ It»

HeartlandLast night on his CNN Headline News show, Glenn Beck exclaimed that he’d be covering the Heartland Institute’s global warming denier conference “like it was the second coming of Jesus himself.” Beck said his round-the-clock coverage was warranted because the mainstream media would ignore the entire conference:

After all, if this were a traditional gathering of global warming alarmists, the media would be everywhere. But, since it’s full of hundreds of credible, mainstream scientists who happen to disagree with their peers, it’s completely ignored.

Blaming the media for “ignoring” their side is a familiar right-wing trope:

John Fund: All this has led the Western Standard, a Canadian magazine sympathetic to the global warming skeptics, to predict that “the gathering will be completely ignored, even though it’s being held in the news media capital of the world.”

Fox News’ Steve Doocy: But is there another side to this story? Many scientists would say yes, but most media outlets, the mainstream media, only cover Al Gore’s earth has a fever perspective.

Business and Media Institute: Global warming skeptics rarely get any say on the networks…Skepticism is all but shut out of reports through several tactics.

In fact, Heartland’s sham conference has created quite a media stir. The New York Times has published two separate articles on the conference, and the Times’ John Tierney has written about it on his blog.

Other mainstream press outlets that have covered the conference: the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, the New York Sun, and Reuters.

In fact, getting the media to cover the real science behind climate change is sometimes more of a challenge. As the League of Conservation Voters recently pointed out, the leading Sunday political talk show hosts have dedicated 0.1 percent of their 2,275 questions to global warming.

UPDATE: Despite the above noted press reports, Beck claimed in an e-mail to listeners today that only “one” reporter attended the conference.




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70 Responses to “Despite Broad Coverage Of Global Warming Deniers Conference, Right Wing Slams Media For ‘Ignoring’ It”

  1. Nature Rules Says:

    I am denying that this conference exists.


  2. Toss these losers Says:

    Ahh yes, nothing screams credibility like a room full of scientists on the Exxon dole.


  3. fletc3her Says:

    Ummm, isn’t CNN Headline News about as MSM as you can get?


  4. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    In fact, Heartland’s sham conference has created quite a media stir. The New York Times has published two separate articles on the conference, and the Times’ John Tierney has written about it on his blog.

    Other mainstream press outlets that have covered the conference: the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, the New York Sun, and Reuters UK.

    Doesn’t matter. That’s not the story the wingnuts want to tell.

    Jeez. It’s almost like you expect facts to matter to them.


  5. tom Says:

    1. being ignored

    2. being the laughingstock of an enlightened public

    It’s your choice, deniers. Pick one.


  6. Anjuna Laguna Says:

    “What will it take to wake the Senate up”

    One of the major shortcomings in last year’s admirable energy bill was its failure to extend vital tax credits to producers of wind, solar and other renewable fuels. This was entirely the doing of the Senate, which caved in to the oil companies and their White House friends.

    http://www.priceofoil.org/

    the House insisted that the credits be paid for by terminating an equivalent $17 billion in tax breaks over 10 years for oil and gas companies. And right on schedule, Senate Republicans began complaining that increasing industry’s taxes would discourage investment in domestic oil and gas production.


  7. Shayne Says:

    You can’t fix stupid.


  8. Winski Says:

    It officially is being ignored… as Shayne says…”You can’t fix stupid”….


  9. Buckie Boy Says:

    Yeah, and conservutards have been right about so many things, like….and, uh….oh, there’s the….uh…..but remember……mmmmm, just can’t seem to think of anything they have been right about…go figure.

    Look over there, something shiny!!

    Bush/Cheney
    Hague Trials ‘09


  10. missmolly Says:

    Let me see if I have this straight — these people are jumping up and down and screaming because mainstream media have more important stories than giving coverage to crackpots?

    Sorry, just throwing a tantrum doesn’t automatically land you on the front page.


  11. raynman Says:

    Five ’scientists’ were on the corner talking about the Flat Earth and how ridiculous all the other scientists were about insisting the Earth is round.

    Global warming deniers have the same scientific weight as the Flat Earthers, but have the right wing in their pocket.


  12. missmolly Says:

    Business and Media Institute: Global warming skeptics rarely get any say on the networks…Skepticism is all but shut out of reports through several tactics.

    —————————————–

    I understand that the Flat Earth Society rarely gets any say on networks, either.


  13. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    I understand that the Flat Earth Society rarely gets any say on networks, either.

    Comment by missmolly — March 4, 2008 @ 12:33 pm

    I just wish that our schools would “teach the controversy” — the debate on the Theory of Gravity IS NOT OVER!


  14. toasterhead Says:

    I understand that the Flat Earth Society rarely gets any say on networks, either.

    Comment by missmolly — March 4, 2008 @ 12:33 pm

    Doesn’t stop Thomas Friedman from hitting the news circuit every six months or so…


  15. katy Says:

    i really don’t get it…
    why not this rush by these “free” marketers to get into the alternative
    energy market and try to rip people off THAT way???

    why don’t the denial idjits get it?
    why don’t they take advantage of this opportunity?
    what could it hurt? (well, that rip-off thing…but…)

    i really just don’t get it…


  16. RUCerious Says:

    **zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz**


  17. hanshiro Says:

    I cannot fathom why anyone would be inbred-juvenile enough to watch Beck. I saw 6 minutes of his antics and was reminded of a petulant society-gossip maven.

    Our country is truly lost when Beck’s brand of Springer-ism is perpetuated by what can only be the backwater ignorance of an entire populace (sponsorship by right-wing media conglomerate CNN doesn’t hurt either…). Then again, there were allegedly a large number of brain-dead imbeciles who purposely voted for bush. The insular idiocy of that mindset is far more frightening and threatening to our country than any terrorists…


  18. zuch Says:

    Does it count if the media covers it and labels it accurately as a Stalinesque “show conference” bought and paid for by Big Energy, by ’scientists’ that are near the bottom of respectability and non-partisanship in their fields (most of which aren’t actually in climatology)?

    … as if the media would actually do such a thing. They’re more apt to give the “two-armed reporting” schtick: “One the one hand, scientists say the earth is round; on the other, some scientists disagree and say the earth is flat. The disagreements make for lively discussions, which we’ll be glad to cover; we thrive on ‘controversy’….”

    Cheers,


  19. Tired of being lied to Says:

    I think what the deniers are really pissed about is that their position is not the only story being told. Hence, they feel ignored.


  20. RUCerious Says:

    Breaking News! The sun is also flat! Our entire world is actually TWO DIMENSIONAL!
    We are a comic strip in the cosmic void!
    /snark


  21. Nature Rules Says:

    I just wish that our schools would “teach the controversy” — the debate on the Theory of Gravity IS NOT OVER!

    Comment by ralph the wonder llama — March 4, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

    LOL This is actually true, the debate on Gravity is NOT Over. Of course Newton was very close - close enough for us common folk moving slowly and Einstein refined it beautifully and very, very accurately. But there is debate on the causes of gravity and the interaction between gravity and the other 3 forces. This debate is sooooo complex as to render 99.99999 percent of the population as incapable of being informed enough to participate in the debate. Naturally, the Global Warming Deniers will jump at the chance to enter this Gravity debate, and solve it, by explaining how god is the cause of gravity and on and on….


  22. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    why not this rush by these “free” marketers to get into the alternative
    energy market and try to rip people off THAT way???

    Comment by katy — March 4, 2008 @ 12:36 pm

    I’m sure that’s what the energy companies are doing behind the scenes. But their public face is denial, which buys them extra time without competition.

    They’re aided by the right-wing propensity to act on emotion rather than logic. Wingnuts resent that Al Gore got on this ahead of the curve and got an Oscar and a Nobel. So they’re gonna push back as hard as their little feet can carry them against ANYONE who has shown Al Gore any respect.

    It’s the way Limpballs has worked forever. Tickle their outrage bone.


  23. lefty Says:

    I caught some of Glenn Beck fawning over a few of these idiots asking them to “talk down to me”. I am really frightened by how proud conservatives are in their stupidity and ignorance.

    “Opinions” that are funded are not opinions. It’s time to think of people who whore off what comes out of their mouths as prostitutes.


  24. toasterhead Says:

    LOL This is actually true, the debate on Gravity is NOT Over. Of course Newton was very close - close enough for us common folk moving slowly and Einstein refined it beautifully and very, very accurately. But there is debate on the causes of gravity and the interaction between gravity and the other 3 forces.

    Comment by Nature Rules — March 4, 2008 @ 12:45 pm

    Indeed! NASA launched a probe in 2004 to test Einstein’s predictions:

    http://www.gravityprobeb.com/


  25. PatrioticLiberalChristian Says:

    That poster is a perfect example of the “science” of the deniers: if you shout louder than your opponent, you are right and win the debate.

    Might makes right. Din means win.


  26. Wayne Says:

    I just wish that our schools would “teach the controversy” — the debate on the Theory of Gravity IS NOT OVER!

    Comment by ralph the wonder llama — March 4, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

    The theory of electricity is just a theory. All rightwingers should avoid using electricity until the “debate” is over. Or try to prove it wrong by sticking a fork in a socket.

    As far as the theory of Gravity, all rightwingers should attempt to prove it false, hopefully by jumping off the tallest building.
    The world would be much quieter after the initial screams and thuds.


  27. Shayne Says:

    I watched Borat again last night. Anybody wondering who these deniers are should go back and watch the scene at the Pentecostal church, That bunch right there, that’s you’re flat earth group, and I don’t care who you are, they sure look stupid.


  28. davemartin7777 Says:

    The right-wing’s strident Do Nothing NOW! “solution” is just unacceptable to young people.


  29. toasterhead Says:

    As far as the theory of Gravity, all rightwingers should attempt to prove it false, hopefully by jumping off the tallest building.
    The world would be much quieter after the initial screams and thuds.

    Comment by Wayne — March 4, 2008 @ 12:56 pm

    This would be quite a good experiment. According to General Relativity, massive objects such as Rush Limbaugh distort the the fabric of their local spacetime continuum far more than smaller objects such as Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck. The only way to test this is to drop all three from a tall building and measure the amount of reality displaced.


  30. Xisithrus Says:

    What the heck is Beck talking about, CNN is part of the MSM.


  31. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    massive objects such as Rush Limbaugh distort the the fabric of their local spacetime continuum far more than smaller objects such as Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck. The only way to test this is to drop all three from a tall building and measure the amount of reality displaced.

    Comment by toasterhead — March 4, 2008 @ 1:05 pm

    I predict that such an experiment would show no effect on the amount of reality displaced. According to my own theory, the three items mentioned operate on an entirely different dimension than reality. There is no intersection at all between the two planes of existence.


  32. Wayne Says:

    The only way to test this is to drop all three from a tall building and measure the amount of reality displaced.
    Comment by toasterhead — March 4, 2008 @ 1:05 pm

    I am curious if the black holes they call brains of all 3 would begin rotating each other before the black holes attempt to swallow each other into one singularity.


  33. lefty Says:

    The right-wing’s strident Do Nothing NOW! “solution” is just unacceptable to young people.

    Thank god. They don’t want problems to be fixed they have the American citizen exactly where they want them - drowning in debt to corporations, overconsumed, going bankrupt, and defaulting on their mortgage.


  34. RUCerious Says:

    Scientists across the globe are correct when they say the preponderance of evidence shows a clear trend toward catastrophic global warming.
    But the president of an eastern european nation whose economy depends on polluting scoffs. Thanks for that non-important quote gigi.


  35. lefty Says:

    Czech president again warns of panic over global warming

    Ooooh the Czech president

    Seriously it’s over for you morons. Yeah, McCain has a chance at the Presidency but Republicans are going to get absolutely manhandles in the congressional and local elections. The days when you could be so proud of being so fcuking stupid are over.


  36. RUCerious Says:

    from wiki
    Czech Republic
    The principal industries are heavy and general machine-building, iron and steel production, metalworking, chemical production, electronics, transportation equipment, textiles, glass, brewing, china, ceramics, and pharmaceuticals.

    Hey, brewing!


  37. RUCerious Says:

    Meanwhile, the tribal chieftain of a tiny island in the Pacific that is sinking due to rising sea levels says

    “glub, glub”


  38. Shayne Says:

    So gone_looney, if Jesus Christ is your personal savior, why don’t you ask him to get you a brain.


  39. lefty Says:

    Comment by RUCerious

    Ever been to Prague? How pornography is not on that list is beyond me.


  40. Shayne Says:

    All three networks’ evening news broadcasts utterly ignored a gathering of hundreds of people – scientists, economists, other experts and interested lay people – aimed at dispelling the media myth that there is “consensus” on climate change’s causes, potential effects, and suggested solutions.
    Comment by good_golly — March 4, 2008 @ 1:14 pm

    Ah hahahahahaha. They ignored “hundreds” of you dimwits. They ignore thousands of protester against congress, the administration the war on a daily basis. People who don’t “pretend” to be experts but want change get ignored by the media routinely.

    But let a bunch of dipshits enabled by lying propagandists get ignored and the whining just doesn’t end. Here’s a clue, even the whores at the MSM get embarrassed sometimes and giving credibility to this bunch of wingnuts must be the tipping point.

    If Jesus can’t help you howdy_doody, perhaps the Wizard of Oz could.


  41. DieNowForPeace Says:

    All three networks’ evening news broadcasts utterly ignored a gathering of

    Coffins draped with American flags?


  42. toasterhead Says:

    Two major national newspapers mentioned the Heartland Institute’s conference, but relegated the story to deep within the papers and downplayed the gathering’s credibility and significance.

    Comment by good_golly — March 4, 2008 @ 1:14 pm

    Good! That’s the kind of reporting this event deserves.


  43. bilbobaggins Says:

    She didn’t mention Heartland’s disclaimer that “no contributions from any energy corporations are being used to support this conference.”
    http://www.businessandmedia.org/ articles/ 2008/ 20080304110949.aspx
    Comment by good_golly

    And the idiot troll believes it. Wow, too stupid for words.


  44. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    Ah hahahahahaha. They ignored “hundreds” of you dimwits. They ignore thousands of protester against congress, the administration the war on a daily basis. People who don’t “pretend” to be experts but want change get ignored by the media routinely.

    Comment by Shayne — March 4, 2008 @ 1:24 pm

    Well said, Shayne.


  45. RUCerious Says:

    Ever been to Prague? How pornography is not on that list is beyond me.

    Comment by lefty — March 4, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

    Closest I ever got was the German/Czech border in August 1968. Remember that?
    The 3rd Armored Division was deployed at Grafenwoehr when the Russkies invaded…


  46. Nevar Says:

    “Czech president again warns of panic over global warming…”

    Lets see, present Czech ocean front property I believe equals zero…
    With a sea level rise they could attract rich corporate developers from other less fortunate seaside areas, Florida, lets say…


  47. toasterhead Says:

    I am curious if the black holes they call brains of all 3 would begin rotating each other before the black holes attempt to swallow each other into one singularity.

    Comment by Wayne — March 4, 2008 @ 1:10 pm

    Hmmm… black holes, singularities - this experiment is starting to sound kind of dangerous.

    We should probably launch the three of them into low Earth orbit, just to be sure.


  48. Shayne Says:

    Aw shucks ralph, now I’m blushing.


  49. Shayne Says:

    We should probably launch the three of them into low Earth orbit, just to be sure.

    Comment by toasterhead — March 4, 2008 @ 1:44 pm

    You mean in case we need to launch a missile so none of their toxic remains hit the Earth?


  50. marcg Says:

    I’m just wondering. Steve Doocy said the “mainstream media” will only cover Al Gore’s version of global warming. I guess Steverino believes his network must not be MSM; therefore, what is his network? If Fox is not MSM they must be some sort of alternative. So,what are you, Steve? I mean, other than a freakin’ moron!


  51. celtic cynic Says:

    On the subject of cooling: Everything should feel cold when they pull their heads out of their butts.


  52. katy Says:

    It’s time to think of people who whore off what comes out of their mouths as prostitutes.
    Comment by lefty — March 4, 2008 @ 12:49 pm

    bobby kennedy jr. calls them “biostitutes”.


  53. tombaker Says:

    The Righty Crybabies usually get their way.

    Because they are giant crybabies.

    And cheaters.

    And liars.

    With a ton of oil and gun money behind them.


  54. katy Says:

    massive objects such as Rush Limbaugh distort the the fabric of their local spacetime continuum far more than smaller objects such as Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck. The only way to test this is to drop all three from a tall building and measure the amount of reality displaced.
    Comment by toasterhead — March 4, 2008 @ 1:05 pm

    I predict that such an experiment would show no effect on the amount of reality displaced. According to my own theory, the three items mentioned operate on an entirely different dimension than reality. There is no intersection at all between the two planes of existence.
    Comment by ralph the wonder llama — March 4, 2008 @ 1:10 pm

    geniuses…


  55. toasterhead Says:

    You mean in case we need to launch a missile so none of their toxic remains hit the Earth?

    Comment by Shayne — March 4, 2008 @ 1:46 pm

    Exactly. It’s the least we can do to protect the public.


  56. katy Says:

    not to leave anyone else out…


  57. RUCerious Says:

    Exactly. It’s the least we can do to protect the public.
    Comment by toasterhead — March 4, 2008 @ 1:52 pm

    Wouldn’t we need a giant space vacuum to suck up all the pieces to prevent re-entry?

    Oh, I forgot, space IS a vacuum!


  58. zuch Says:

    #23 lefty:

    I caught some of Glenn Beck fawning over a few of these idiots asking them to “talk down to me”.

    Despite the fact that these paid hacks are eedjits, it still remains true that this is the only practical way to address Mr. Beck…..

    Cheers,


  59. civil behavior Says:

    “UNDER A GREEN SKY” by Peter Ward.

    Read it and then take some action to conserve, recycle, spread the word andchange your lifestyle.

    OR pretend like nothings wrong.

    Your choice is to be wisen up and be smart or continue basing everything on yourself and be stupid.


  60. zuch Says:

    #38 Good_golly:

    The Washington Post’s Juliet Eilperin noted in a story published on page A16 that the Heartland Institute is “funded by energy and health-care corporations.” She didn’t mention Heartland’s disclaimer that “no contributions from any energy corporations are being used to support this conference.”

    Look up “fungible”. “Fun-gi-ble”. It’s in your dictionary.

    Cheers,


  61. toasterhead Says:

    Oh, I forgot, space IS a vacuum!

    Comment by RUCerious — March 4, 2008 @ 1:54 pm

    Not as much as you’d think - there’s quite a lot of dark matter out there…


  62. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    Oh, I forgot, space IS a vacuum!

    Comment by RUCerious — March 4, 2008 @ 1:54 pm

    Not as much as you’d think - there’s quite a lot of dark matter out there…

    Comment by toasterhead — March 4, 2008 @ 2:17 pm

    As opposed to a troll-soiled thread at TP, which has a lot of dork matter in it…


  63. Leftside Annie Says:

    Jebus H. Keerist. Those frikkin’ whiners ought to just shut their stoopid yaps before their one single functioning brain cell falls out.

    *eyeroll*


  64. Beethoven Rules Says:

    I repeat, take the global warming challenge. Win $150,000
    If your so sure that global waming is man made, go ahead win $150,000.

    http://www.globalwarmingchallenge.com


  65. toasterhead Says:

    I repeat, take the global warming challenge. Win $150,000
    If your so sure that global waming is man made, go ahead win $150,000.

    http://www.globalwarmingchallenge.com

    Comment by Beethoven Rules — March 4, 2008 @ 2:46 pm

    The IPCC already won a Nobel Prize. They really don’t have to prove anything to some skeptic with a web site.


  66. Pernell Says:

    deserves repeating…

    You will notice that the cult of conservatism gets in such a tizzy when the “media” does not report the out of touch with reality horseshit being fed the the right by their handlers.

    So, if the media does not cover their reality-free EXXON paid for propaganda fest then their cult leaders tell them they are being persecuted. They accept this because they are conditioned to eat any turd their handlers throw them. Moonies function like this.

    If you will watch conservatives this happens all the time. They think if you don’t give equal time to their lies and blatant propaganda you are persecuting them. Moonies think like this.

    Conservatism is a national security problem. It can only thrive if they have Moon’s WT and Rush to tell them what and how to think - all the trolls here know that is the truth.

    Cult members cannot see what they are doing, how they are controlled, neither can conservatives. They have come to believe treason is a good thing and shatting on the constitution is their duty.

    They are really very frightend people. Trained like seals to fear those Boogymen, Commies, environmentalists, people who think the constitution should be followed, and people who expose their fraudulant movement - these things frighten conservatives that is why they grasp for any lie Rush tells them - it soothes their conditioned minds. Just like a cult.


  67. dasm Says:

    Beck is a sensationalist entertainer, and a very poor entertainer at that. His lies are blatant and many; he really does not care about the truth– only in getting his radical right-wing, small audience angry. As with most of the right-wing TV ‘personalities’, he promotes bigotry & hate.


  68. d.beck Says:

    An extremely informative, in-depth account of four of the major global warming “confusionists” is available free-online.

    I highly recommend this video. It very clearly explains a situation that is causing much harm to the American public’s understanding of a very dangerous situation.

    *************

    The American Denial of Global Warming, 12/12/07, free on-line, 58 min.
    http://www.uctv.tv/ search-details.asp?showID=13459


  69. rjpape Says:

    I can only imagine if they actually got the attention that they claim they want. I think it’s a great idea: let’s get 60 Minutes, or another reliable TV news magazine, or Time Magazine (do you think Time could be trusted to tell the truth?…well, maybe not Time) or other reporting agency, to dig into who the sponsors are; let’s get thier deniers to go one-on-one with renowned scientists such as Hansen from NASA. How are we going to do this? We need to give them as much attention as they would seem to want, but let’s make sure that the attention digs as far down as possible into who’s behind this meeting. Obviously it’s oil, coal, auto-makers and the like. It shouldn’t be too difficult for a motivated journalist to get to the bottom.
    Let’s make them sorry that they ever sought attention. I’d love for someone to shut that slimeball Beck up.


  70. Mr Nature Says:

    My mother is in the process of making the Global Climate change known. She has changed direction over this past year and that change is evident to all atmosheric temperature recording agencies. Over the next few years it will become completely evident to all the world to see.

    Mr Nature.


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