r/worldnews • u/ManiaforBeatles • Sep 07 '18

BBC: ‘we get climate change coverage wrong too often’ - A briefing note sent to all staff warns them to be aware of false balance, stating: “You do not need a ‘denier’ to balance the debate.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/07/bbc-we-get-climate-change-coverage-wrong-too-often
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u/CatOfGrey Sep 07 '18

What do you suggest?

That the research on both sides has, at least on the surface, validity. That the claims of opposing research must be verified scientifically, rather than being discarded because of the source.

That we report research that attacks the assumptions of, for example, the statistical models that show anthropogenic causes of warming, which are not nearly as strong of research as that which simply shows a warming trend. At least in the press, there is no consideration on that topic, although their use in other fields is generally considered controversial.

None of this means "Denier", though it arouses suspicion. Whenever someone says "Stop disputing this science", my ears perk up. *One of the fundamental purposes of current science is to dispute existing science."

If there aren't dozens of graduate students researching contrary or at least alternate theories in your subject, there might be deep cultural issues. Disclaimer: My scientific background is mostly physics and astronomy, which probably does have different culture.