A Green Party Senator has hit out at RTÉ for presenting climate action as “a debate,” and accused the broadcaster of showing too many people driving cars in its TV programming.
The remarks were made last week by Senator Pauline O’Reilly, during an Oireachtas Joint Committee meeting discussing the role of media and communications in “actioning climate change.”
“I said this last week to BAI,” said O’Reilly, referring to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
“The climate science is indisputable now. That’s not where the argument is anymore. Where we’re talking is, is about climate action.”
She went on to criticise the state broadcaster, RTÉ, for allegedly not showing enough “climate action” in their programming.
“There isn’t enough about climate action,” she said.
“That people are walking and cycling on shows, instead of using cars, for instance. Of course some people will always need to use cars, but I just don’t see enough of the climate action being woven through, and it’s still presented as a debate between one versus the other when it comes to climate action.”
The remarks come as Green Party Media Minister Catherine Martin announces several million euros in new funding for “Climate Change Programming,” including documentaries, entertainment and “educational” productions about climate issues.
Martin’s department said that the fund would help “to support new and relevant content to raise awareness of climate change and climate action,” and is aimed specifically at the 15-34 age demographic.
The Greens have long sought to influence the media to remove what they deem to be “misinformation” regarding climate issues.
Earlier this year Green Party Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Malcolm Noonan, called for the Electoral Commission to be given new powers to shut down so-called “misinformation” and “inauthentic behaviour” during elections and referenda, using “monitoring and investigation functions.”
“Traditionally, we have trusted the professional values of the media and the perception of the public to filter all the noise that surrounds our electoral events,” he said at the time.
“But the online world now provides unprecedented opportunities to spread false or misleading information very quickly and create a false impression that a particular position has widespread support, thus giving it unwarranted credibility.”
Additionally, Gript previously reported that RTÉ is partnered with a climate activist group called Covering Climate Now.
BEN SCALLAN: RTÉ is the only Irish member of a left-wing climate activism group which aims to “transform” the media . But how can you trust an organisation to tell you the truth when it’s siding with activists instead of scientists? #gript https://t.co/zpZKa4rCdY
— gript (@griptmedia) March 10, 2021
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