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Seen through the fond haze of nostalgia, news seemed so simple in the past.
There were a few trusted newspapers in the morning, Walter Cronkite in the
evening. Today, news – or, more to the point, information – pervades us at
every turn. The cost of that access appears to be the objectivity of the press.
Now, we Americans have always prided ourselves on our country’s “free press”
and “freedom of speech.” But with the advent of the Internet we are forced
to confront an ever-increasing, ever-more-vocal community of news reporters
who also take it upon themselves to become the newsmakers. Freedom of the press
is being hijacked by those entrusted to use it wisely in order to push social
agendas. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the subject of global warming.
Our cover story this month looks at how the media is shaping opinion on the
issue of climate change. Turn to any network or cable channel, pick up a typical
mainstream magazine, and the message is consistent: If we don’t stop driving
our cars and plugging in our appliances we will end up killing the planet –
or at least making it largely uninhabitable for humans. But what about the
other side of the story? “We Report, We Decide” is required reading for anyone
who has ever heard a report on global warming and got the sinking feeling that
he or she is seeing theory being presented as immutable fact.
Also in this issue, Cyril Widdershoven brings us up to speed on OPEC’s request
for security of demand. If the cartel is to invest more in exploration, it
wants to know that its customers are willing to put up the cash. And Erika-Marie
S. Geiss reminds us that the smallest of changes in habit can start even the
most distractible of us on the road to a smaller carbon footprint.
June’s spotlights on North America, Latin America and Africa highlight the
controversial “gas-tax holiday,” the paradox of a vastly oil-rich nation whose
citizens remain mired in poverty and one African country’s move to oust Chinese
interests in favor of Western investment.
We are surrounded by opinion dressed up as fact. Today it’s global warming,
tomorrow it could be another issue du jour. Are we stuck with this brand of
media-invented reality? Yes. As Walter Cronkite would say, that’s the way it
is.
Richard R. Loomis
Editor-in-Chief
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