Liberals and News Corp in lock-step with interests of climate denying billionaires

Despite this trend, the Coalition and News Corp remain mouthpieces for billionaire interests determined to stop climate action and facts, writes Dr Victoria Fielding.

LIBERAL and National Parties and their media arm – News Company – they will never admit that they work solely for the interests of an elite few. They will claim that the black and blues are for “ordinary Australians”.

But the proof is in the pudding. When you look at their actions and their own words, it is clear that their masters are the billionaire class and they have no regard for the interests of non-billionaire Australians, such as living on a livable planet.

It was fortuitous timing that last week the Liberal Party shamefully chose to side with the National Party. to abandon allegiances News Corp Australia as it questions about platforming to net zero climate disinformation At the Senate hearing.

In this inquiry, as always, News Corp did its best to pretend it was a news organisation; whereas everyone knows that it is actually a political organization that uses the mask of journalism to promote right-wing ideas and causes.

Chief executive of News Corp during this Senate inequality Michael Miller he has seemingly repeatedly denied that his own news organization is responsible for platforming climate denial. Miller, who has played this denial game many times before, used the get-out-of-jail-free card that opinion writers can spread any disinformation they want.

Miller he implied thatOf course, there may be some opinions that question climate change, but that was fine because “Healthy democracies are built on healthy debates”. He also said with mock innocence and a seemingly straight face: “I hope you’re not suggesting we censor [climate deniers]?”

Of course, choosing not to take part in disinformation platforms is not censorship. In fact, if News Corp were a legitimate news organization, it would have come to this conclusion decades ago and stopped doing this. However, it is not a legitimate news organization and should not be treated as such.

In my research into News Corp’s conservative advocacy of the “No” campaign during the Voice Referendum, my colleagues and I found that News Corp produced more commentary on the Voice than actual reporting. Otherwise, even in actual reporting, the lines between opinion and facts were blurred, making it difficult for viewers to know whether they were being presented with facts or opinions about the Referendum.

This blending of ideas and news is News Corp’s core political strategy; It claims to be a “news” organization, but it is actually a political organization that has been trying to muddy the science – the facts – of climate change and undermine action for decades. And it does this because it serves the political, ideological and commercial interests of the billionaire class to which its owners belong.

That’s why News Corp chooses to platform people who write comment pieces that debunk the facts about climate change and advocate against climate action. Tagging an article as “news” or “comment” does not change anything; when misleading – and politically intentional – the results are the same.

The toxic links between News Corp’s climate denialism and its political advocacy against renewable energy were on display at the Senate Inquiry in the decidedly bizarre appearance of “journalists” and anti-renewable energy obsessives. Chris Uhlmann.

Uhlmann did not appear in the role hingeless spreader More through his role as an advocate for the anti-renewable energy group Rainforest Reserves Australia (than through misleading anti-renewable energy “opinions” in News Corp newspapers).RRA), which is questioned about him ‘Fictional references and opaque financing’. Uhlmann wears many anti-renewable energy, anti-climate action hats.

The point is that News Corp is not censoring it by not publishing it. It wouldn’t do to publish it.

Another example of the cozy relationship between News Corp and aggressive political opposition to climate action at the show Senate Inquiry involved interference from climate-denying extremist National Senator Matt Canavancommissioned News Corp for its 2021 statement supporting the company’s net zero emissions.

But Canavan needn’t have worried. From the day News Corp pledged to advocate for net-zero emissions, it was clear that this was a pointless PR stunt aimed at dampening public backlash against News Corp’s decades of climate denial.

News Company I never followed with this word. There was no campaign to advocate net zero. There was no change in spelling. On the contrary, My research shows We believe News Corp remains the only mainstream news source in Australia that regularly de-platforms climate deniers, anti-climate action advocates and downplays the link between climate change and climate-related events.

It doesn’t matter what News Corp or the Liberal-Nationals say to defend their indefensible undermining of the facts about climate change and their political campaigns against climate action. They can claim whatever they want represents the public interest and claim to be engaged in healthy debate. Their actions speak for themselves. They serve no constituency other than the billionaires who fight tooth and nail to maintain dependence on fossil fuels for their own business interests. They manipulate and deceive for political purposes and therefore must be condemned.