Private Outlets Broadcast More Climate Disinformation: Analyzing News TV and Radio in Brazil, Spain, France and Poland
Climate disinformation is being broadcast by mainstream TV and radio channels that millions of people turn to for news, with private outlets responsible for 85% of the 815 cases of climate disinformation tracked in a new report, ‘Climate disinformation: A comparative analysis of Brazil, Spain, France and Poland as a rising challenge for news media,’ from QuotaClimat, Science Feedback and Data For Good.
They tracked 44 TV and radio outlets in Brazil, Spain, France and Poland and logged 815 cases of climate disinformation. 85% of those incidents were on private outlets and France alone accounted for 665 cases.
The disinformation is not random. It is being strategically broadcast by a relatively small group of channels, with its intent to sabotage climate action demonstrated by spikes around elections and climate policy debates when public understanding matters most.
The disinfluencers focus their attacks on renewables and climate policy using anti-EU and anti-elite narratives in Europe and pro-agribusiness spin in Brazil. Instead of informing the public, these outlets are choosing to broadcast talking points that benefit high emitting industries and far right political actors.
Traditional media still shapes how millions of people understand climate change, and 89% of the global public demands more climate action from their governments. When TV and radio become megaphones for disinformation at decisive moments, they do not just distort debates. They undermine democracy.
