News Corp Australia chair says outlets not part of climate crisis ‘denial machine’ | Environment

A senior News Corp Australia executive has defended the company’s platforming of climate science deniers and said news organizations were not part of a “denial machine” spreading misinformation.

News Corp Australia chief executive Michael Miller told a Senate inquiry into climate and energy misinformation that there was no coordination between the organisation’s news organizations to highlight voices skeptical of climate action or Australia’s target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson, the committee chairman, asked Miller “why are you putting climate skeptics on the platform?” he asked, telling News Corp: “[relies] The views of many climate deniers are included.”

“I hope you’re not suggesting we censor them?” Miller responded.

“We have great democracy and healthy debate in this country, and to answer your question, there are people who have different views than you, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a voice.”

Miller said the company “expresses a variety of views” and that “I would need more detail to say we are platforming climate deniers, but we need to be able to have a debate in this country and that’s what we’re doing.”

Whish-Wilson said some submissions to the inquiry claimed News Corp Australia was part of a “climate denial machine” that included public relations firms, think tanks and consultancies.

Asked if News Corp was part of that machine, Miller said: “No. Maybe we are part of a discussion machine, but not a denial machine.”

Sky News Australia, owned by News Corp, was previously identified as a global hub for climate misinformation by UK think tank the Institute for Strategic Dialogue in analysis published in 2022. The company rejected this analysis.

Climate Action Against Disinformation, a coalition of groups working to combat false narratives about climate and energy, said in a submission to the inquiry that readers of some News Corp publications were more likely to accept misinformation than readers of other sources.

A presentation by Climate Communications Australia, a non-profit group, includes detailed analysis of the 22 most read online news sources.

Those allegedly containing the highest degree of misinformation were News Corp Australia broadcasters, including The Australian and Sky News.

Asked to respond to the analysis by Labor Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Miller said: “I will challenge how this report defines misinformation. An opinion that someone disagrees with is not misinformation.”

Campbell Reid, News Corp Australia’s group director of corporate affairs, policy and government affairs, also defended the company’s reporting on the 2019 and 2020 black summer bushfires.

A report shared by Donald Trump Jr. in The Australian suggested arson was a major factor in the fires. Following an investigation, the Australian Press Council said the article was not misleading.

One expert said the story helped fuel misinformation around the world that arson, rather than climate disruption, was the main factor behind the fires.

During the fires, a News Corp employee sent an email to all staff accusing the company of spreading misinformation about the fires.

News Corp’s head of business finance Emily Townsend wrote: “I find it unreasonable to continue working for this company knowing that I am contributing to the spread of climate change denial and lies.”

Miller rejected Townsend’s claim and said News Corp publications wrote 3,335 stories about bushfires, with 12% mentioning climate change and 5% mentioning arson.

Asked whether there was coordination across News Corp to highlight the views of think tanks such as the Institute of Public Affairs, a right-wing group known for opposing climate action, Miller said there was not and that each imprint was free to make its own editorial decisions.

Miller was also asked about James Murdoch’s resignation from News Corp’s board in 2020 and the company’s reported frustrations with climate news and the “ongoing denial” he said was present in Australian outlets.

Miller said: “Climate change is real, I’m on record about it. So is Rupert Murdoch, so is Lachlan Murdoch.”

“I don’t believe James Murdoch read our articles to come to this conclusion. He was probably reading social media.”

“If he had picked up the phone and asked, I would have given him a more detailed answer.”