by Joceyln Fong, cross-posted from Media Matters
Last night Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly told his viewers that the Obama administration “gave France 1.2 billion” in clean energy funding. It was completely false and something Fox could have avoided with a few minutes of fact-checking. But a chunk of the blame belongs to CBS, which enabled O’Reilly’s misinformation with its own sloppy journalism.
CBS News’ new morning show ran a report on Friday by correspondent Sharyl Attkisson which purported to identify 11 “New Solyndras.” The segment was surprisingly bad, and like so much reporting on clean energy these days, eagerly skipped over the facts in pursuit of a broader narrative. In the report, Attkisson included California solar company SunPower on her list of struggling clean energy companies purportedly risking taxpayer dollars:
ATTKISSON: SunPower landed a $1.2 billion loan guarantee last fall after a French oil company took it over. On its last financial statement, SunPower owed more than it was worth.
Citing CBS, O’Reilly concluded that “the French people got our money,” adding, “We gave France 1.2 billion, because this company went bankrupt and the French guy swooped in … grabbed the company, and went back to Paris with our money”:
In reality, SunPower doesn’t have a federal loan guarantee. NRG Energy acquired the project in question — the California Valley Solar Ranch — from SunPower shortly before the project received the loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. So NRG, not SunPower, is on the hook for the loan. The CVSR project is not considered risky for taxpayers because California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. already signed a long-term contract to buy the power from the solar plant.
And SunPower did not go bankrupt, as O’Reilly claimed (a minor detail by Fox News standards). The fact that a massive French oil company (Total SA) purchased a majority stake in SunPower “could give SunPower a huge advantage” since “Total can get access to large amounts of capital at lower rates than standalone solar companies,” according to solar analyst Shyam Mehta. In December, Total upped its stake to 66 percent in what was seen as “a vote of confidence” in the solar company.
Jocelyn Fong is a researcher at Media Matters for America. This piece was originally published at Media Matters.
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Language Intelligence: Lessons on persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga
CBS caved years ago, and are in a clammy embrace with banks and corporations. Remember how good 60 Minutes used to be, especially with Mike Wallace? Now they run puff pieces on celebrities and the Alberta Tar Sands.
Jocelyn Fong wrote: “… sloppy journalism … eagerly skipped over the facts in pursuit of a broader narrative”
It’s not “sloppy journalism”. It is deliberately deceptive propaganda.
And it’s not “skipping over facts”. It is blatant lies.
And the “broader agenda” is, of course, to perpetuate the use of fossil fuels and to obstruct and delay the transition to renewable energy for as long as they — i.e. the fossil fuel oligarchs and their bought-and-paid-for shills in the corporate media — can get away with it.
Folks, we need to stop pretending that the corporate media’s coverup of the effects of climate change, and their attacks on renewable energy, are accidental, or the result of “sloppiness”. It’s an entirely deliberate and calculated campaign of public deception that they are waging on behalf of the fossil fuel corporations. And it’s past time to start saying so, loudly and clearly and repeatedly.
I agree with this take-there is a surprising number of people “shorting” stocks of renewable energy companies-i.e. they are placing a bet that the stock price will fall. One way to make sure you win this bet is to spread negative press on your victims of shorting-even if you have to lie on Fox News. Why Fox is not directly confronted with this by the legal advisors of SunPower is beyond me.
Climate Change, The Media, NBC, ClimateProgress, and the Upcoming Republican Debate on January 23rd in Florida
If there is a state that should be interested in and concerned about climate change, it’s Florida. I lived there for about 8 years, including through a major hurricane. Most of the state is not far above sea level.
If there is a major TV network that ought to be “in the know” enough to ask the Repub candidates the pivotal questions about their views on climate change, it ought to be NBC.
The next Repub debate, after tonight, is on the 23rd, in Florida, hosted by NBC.
My suggestion — no, request — is this: Would ClimateProgress please do a crystal clear and compelling post, addressed specifically to NBC, to NBC’s leaders, and TO THE SPECIFIC ANCHORS on NBC WHO WILL BE HOSTING THE DEBATE (by name), to ask (demand) that they include the topic of climate change in the upcoming debate? And why not list the two pivotal questions? And, not about “energy independence”. Nor about “green jobs”. No, I’m talking about a question or two that ask(s) the candidates to state their views about CLIMATE CHANGE — whether they agree with scientists that it’s real, or not; whether they agree with scientists that it’s caused primarily by human activities, or not; and IF NOT, WHY NOT?
This is the time. The time is now. If CP thinks that climate change ought to be more prominent in the media, and in political discussions, then (please) do such a post, and make it as clear and demanding as possible. Name names. Call Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews and Lawrence O’Donnell and etc. to get their help; I’m assuming they know folks at NBC.
The debate is coming up soon, on the 23rd. Such a post would be a great one for tomorrow.
Just a suggestion,
Jeff
It’s only humanity’s ability to inhabit planet Earth that’s at stake… no biggie.