Target: Sky News Australia CEO, Paul Whittaker
Goal: Stop Australia’s Sky News Channel from spreading climate disinformation to a global audience
The increasing spread of online mis/disinformation has hindered our ability to take action on many of the crises facing the globe today, including critical actions to address climate change. According to The Guardian, a new UK report has shown that Sky News Australia – owned by Fox News’ Rupert Murdoch – has become one of the dominant online sources of climate misinformation globally.
The report shows that conservative mouthpieces, from news networks to social media influencers, are increasingly turning to Sky News Australia as their source of climate denial fodder. In the same article, Chris Cooper – a director at Purpose, a consulting agency which helps non-profits understand and address the impact they have on climate change and other issues – says Sky News Australia has a “disproportionate contribution to global climate misinformation … we see the content shared through denier networks across the globe.”
Increased impacts of climate change are already being felt across the United States, ranging from more severe hurricanes on the East Coast to rampaging wildfires along the West Coast. Without meaningful action to decrease our carbon emissions and enact legislation to address climate change we will continue to face these and other devastating disasters with an increasing frequency.
Mis/disinformation about climate change is a significant barrier to climate action. This false information is used by anyone from fossil fuel companies to politicians to justify continued inaction against climate change. We must stop the rampant spread of climate disinformation online. Sign this petition to urge the CEO of Sky News Australia to address the spreading mis/disinformation coming from his news channel.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Whittaker,
A recent UK report analyzing the global network of climate science deniers has shown that Sky News Australia is a central hub for climate mis/disinformation online. In fact, Chris Cooper of Australia’s Purpose has specifically stated your organizations is “disproportionate[ly] contribut[ing] to global climate misinformation.”
Climate change is the largest existential crisis facing the world today. We need to take immediate and substantial action against to fight its devastating impacts, and the proliferation of mis/disinformation denying the crisis is a significant impediment.
As a journalistic outlet, Sky News Australia has a responsibility to share the truth with its readers, whether that is through your organization’s reporting or social media presences. You must take any actions necessary to stop the outsized role Sky News Australia is having on the spread of climate mis/disinformation.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Edward Kimmel
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