The NYT stopped shilling for cigarettes. Why won’t it stop shilling for fossil fuels?
Millions of people will be seeking information this morning about Hurricane Ida, the Caldor Fire, and the Chaparral Fire—three ongoing climate disasters leaving tremendous pain and suffering in their paths.
For timely, trustworthy news on these crises, many will likely turn to the New York Times.
Ida howled into Louisiana on Sunday with powerful winds and dangerously high storm surges, lashing coastal communities and battering New Orleans.
“This is one of the strongest storms to make landfall here in modern times,” the state’s governor said. https://t.co/gtXdMqB7tX
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 30, 2021
The paper of record’s reporting will undoubtedly be of quality. But readers will have to be careful not to get distracted.In addition to information about these deadly disasters, Times readers today may also be shown advertisements for the fossil fuel industry—the main industry responsible for making the disasters worse.
These advertisements, many of which are created for the industry by the Times, routinely run on the paper’s website alongside its journalism. They attempt to sell readers not on a product, but on an idea: that fossil fuel companies are helping save the planet.This idea is false, as repeatedly demonstrated by The Times’ own reporting. Fossil fuel ads are political propaganda, attempts by the industry to placate public outrage about climate change. [Continue reading…]