Should CNBC Apologize For 'Global Warming Hoax' Promoting?

Last week, cable television Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) was caught in an email seeking out an economist and known climate change denier, to write about the “global warming hoax.”

Cindy Perman, CNBC.com’s commentary editor, mistakenly sent an email to DeSmogBlog, inviting climate change denier Alan Carlin to write an article about the “global warming hoax” on CNBC’s website.

Whether a climate change scientists or a denier, one would agree that conventional media, such as CNBC, should be reporting news, not making news, according to rights defenders, including those at CREDO. 

“The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers around the world. In 2007, the network was ranked as the 19th most valuable cable channel in the United States, worth roughly $4 billion,” says Wikipedia. “CNBC continues to possess the wealthiest audience (in terms of average income) of any television channel in the United States.”

“By soliciting an article specifically to deny the science behind climate change the network clearly crossed a line,” said Kevin Grandia, a CREDO Activist. “We have to hold CNBC accountable for actively misleading its viewers.

Are You Being Duped By NWO Corporate Interest? Who funds CNBC, controlling their misinformation?

The only ones benefiting from such misleading accounts about climate change are those funded by the power elite, including the fossil fuel industry profiteers. 

“Massive corporations dominate the U.S. media landscape,” explains Free Press.net. “Through a history of mergers and acquisitions, these companies have concentrated their control over what we see, hear and read. In many cases, these companies control everything from initial production to final distribution.”

Broadcasters make billions in profits while using public airwaves – free.

“In return, they are supposed to provide programming that fulfills community needs,” reports Free Press. “Instead, lobbyists have successfully fought to make it easier for broadcast companies to gobble up even more free airspace while doing less to serve the public.”

In interactive charts, Free Press reveals who owns what. Here’s what it says about CNBC:

“In 2011, the Federal Communications Commission approved Comcast’s takeover of a majority share of NBCUniversal from General Electric. This merger combines the nation’s largest cable company and residential Internet service provider and one of the world’s biggest producers of TV shows and motion pictures. Comcast’s media holdings now reach almost every home in America. It serves customers in 39 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to its vast NBCUniversal holdings, Comcast has 23.6 million cable subscribers, 18 million digital cable subscribers, 15.9 million high-speed Internet customers and 7.6 million voice customers. Comcast recently entered into a partnership with Verizon in which each company will market and sell the other’s services.

“TV: NBCUniversal; twenty-four television stations and the NBC television network; Telemundo; USA Network; SyFy; CNBC; MSNBC; Bravo; Oxygen; Chiller; CNBC World; E!; the Golf Channel; Sleuth; mun2; Universal HD; VERSUS; Style; G4; Comcast SportsNet (Philadelphia), Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore/Washington, D.C.), Cable Sports Southeast, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, MountainWest Sports Network, Comcast SportsNet California (Sacramento), Comcast SportsNet New England (Boston), Comcast SportsNet Northwest (Portland, Ore.), Comcast Sports Southwest (Houston), Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (San Francisco), New England Cable News (Boston), Comcast Network Philadelphia, Comcast Network Mid-Atlantic (Baltimore/Washington, D.C.); the Weather Channel (25 percent stake); A&E (16 percent stake); the History Channel (16 percent stake); the Biography Channel (16 percent stake); Lifetime (16 percent stake); the Crime and Investigation Channel (16 percent stake); Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (30 percent stake); FEARnet (31 percent stake); PBS KIDS Sprout (40 percent stake); TV One (34 percent stake); Houston Regional Sports Network (23 percent stake); SportsNet New York (8 percent stake)”

“Tell CNBC Managing Editor Allen Wastler: Apologize to your viewers for soliciting a “global warming is a hoax” op-ed,” CREDO urges.

For years, scientists at major institutions have proven climate change is real, is happening, and that fossil fuel emissions from factories, cars and electricity generation are to blame.

“And we are already seeing the impacts in the form of more wildfires, droughts and other extreme weather-related events,” says CREDO. 

Here’s the burning question: When it comes to science, should corporate media outlets such as CNBC have a responsibility to report what scientists have concluded and not seek commentary from non-scientists just for the sake of providing a counterpoint no matter how clearly false?

This isn’t CNBC’s first offense, CREDO says. Last year, a Media Matters for America report found over half of CNBC’s climate change coverage was misleading. Twenty-four out of the 47 substantial mentions or segments on climate change on CNBC, (just over 51 percent of coverage) cast doubt on whether manmade climate change existed.

“A year later and it looks like nothing has changed at CNBC, as it is actively seeking out non-scientists to make the false claim that global warming is a hoax.”

This isn’t reporting news. This is creating news, according to journalusts of integrity.

CREDO says, “Climate change denial isn’t only patently false, it’s dangerous and a clear betrayal of the public trust.”

CREDO wants the public to tell CNBC Managing Editor Allen Wastler: “Apologize to your viewers for soliciting a ‘global warming is a hoax’ op-ed” and to click the link below to sign the petition:

http://act.credoaction.com/go/5081?t=6&akid=11116.1855495.T96kqL

What do you think? Are you going to sing this petition? Or, do you agree with corporate elitists pushing the “climate change hoax” campaign?