Stories and the way the press reports them shape our perception of the world and the climate crisis. While most major media companies have started to pay close attention to climate issues in recent years, often setting up their first environmental or climate desks, these beats are still understaffed to address the complex environmental narrative. Mickey Huff, director of Project Censored and president of the Media Freedom Foundation, and Andy Lee Roth, associate director of the program, wrote an article for Earth911, Corporate Media Fiddle as the Planet Burns, about the environmental stories that were almost entirely ignored by the mainstream press in 2022. Andy Lee Roth joins Mitch Ratcliffe to talk about the stories and how the press can improve its environmental coverage.
For 57 years, the Media Freedom Foundation’s Project Censored has released an annual list of the most under-reported stories of the year. The environment and social justice issues are heavily featured in its State of the Free Press 2023 report. Andy explains how stories about oil subsidies totaling $5.9 trillion a year, smart ocean technology’s impact on whales, and the suppression of Environmental Protection Agency toxic chemicals reports were discovered and reported by the independent press. You can learn more about Project Censored and its State of the Free Press 2023 report at projectcensored.org.
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This podcast originally aired on March 6, 2023.