Today many newspapers across the world carried the same editorial, eg. the Guardian in the UK, Sueddeutsche Zeitung in Germany etc. This was a concerted effort to send a signal to the start of proceedings in Copenhagen.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/06/copenhagen-editorial
It would be interesting to analyse the type of paper which participates in each of these countries -- a task which cannot be done on the hoof. However, looking at a few examples, it is clear in which countries the elite papers have a greater or lesser involvement.
For the UK, it is no surprise to see the Guardian (it is not the Financial Times, though). There are some so called papers of record, such as Le Monde in France. Less pronounced, but still highly visible are La Repubblica in Italy, El Pais in Spain. Canada has the Toronto Star, the US the Miami Herald and China the Economic Observer.
Usually the position of elite papers is an important indicator of the political climate in a country.
Monday, December 7, 2009
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9 comments:
Not clear what you are trying to say or claim. Newspapers such as the Financial TImes, the New York Times, The Washington Post all ran fairly strong-worded Editorials today (e.g. "Copenhagen: we can’t risk failure", or "The United States must take the lead in lowering global emissions by delivering on any promises made at the talks in Denmark."). Equating non-participation with position or dismissing variety of expression over unisono seems questionable. You have to leave it to individual papers to reserve their right to choose their own wording - a basis for independent journalism.
Please don't water down what promises to become a good and useful blog.
-Patrick H.
Well I think I get what you are trying to say. It is most unusual for politically correct newspapers to get so PC they all print the same words in lock step on the same day.
Not as many newspapers though, as the scientists that lined up against Einstein: no fewer than 100, back in 1931. He must have been a real "prat" - to use a Climategate term.
And of course there was also a global consensus about the imminent tidal wave of death and destruction we could expect from global cooling, ozone depletion, nuclear tests, nuclear power, GM crops, overpopulation, resource depletion, DDT, Y2K, BSE, endocrine disrupters, SARS, bird flu, swine flu, asbestos, chlorine, brain cancer from mobile phones, etc. etc.
Still it's great to see solidarity back again. "SA marschiert in ruhig festem Schritt..."
Patrick - I did not intend to tell paper what they should do. I only made an observation about a concerted effort. Maybe the lineup is completely accidental, but this seems rather unlikely to me.
Re anonymous: I certainly disagree with any suggestion that concerted efforts are per se fascist.
I have studied the media coverage on ozone layer depletion and can tell you that for a long time there was NO global consensus. The same is still true with regard to climate change, although there is now clearly a dominant view.
Response to Anonymous who quotes from SA:
Here we go again: invoke comparisons to nazism to shut everyone up in case you run out of substance and good arguments on the subject. It's plain Rethoric 101.
-Patrick H.
The Toronto "Red" Star is well known in Canada as a left leaning news organization. No surprize they would be involved in a global editorial from the world's socialists.
I'm not sure what exactly it is that you want to say. In case you just want to know whether any papers of my country (Belgium) are involved, there are no Belgium newspapers in that list. But that is probably because they have not been asked. The media in Belgium are very PC.
I read the comments in the Guardian and a common view was expressed. They were gratified the media spoke with one voice. It reminds me of the inquisition, if you expressed an original thought "I think the earth circles the sun”, you could end up roasted on a stake.
Gentlemen, as a Canadian, I can assure you that the Toronto Star is far from being an elite newspaper - nor does it have a national audience. There are 2 national newspapers in Canada, the Globe & Mail [very slow to publish anything except the AGW party-line) and the National Post - whose coverage has been admirable.
I am neither a scientist nor a journalist. But I do know how to read between (and beyond!) the lines of emails. The idea that CO2 might be the "primary" cause of "climate change" (formerly known as "global warming" just never sounded right to me.
But I do know how to recognize a steamroller when it is heading full-speed towards me.
I have written a few essays, from my own perspective, now posted on a blog I've created, that you might be interested in reading. The most recent is:
"The foggy solution to the climate question"
http://hro001.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/the-foggy-solution-to-the-climate-question/
which is more or less part 2 of another:
"The Fog of Uncertainty and the Precautionary Principle"
http://hro001.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/the-fog-of-uncertainty-and-the-precautionary-principle/
I would welcome your feedback and comments.
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