Channel 4's great climate swindle
Posted by DavidM in Climate change, Green Politics | 23 July 2008
Channel 4 broadcast The Great Global Warming Swindle, a documentary debunking man-made climate change claims. However, it looks like the real swindle was the content of the programme itself.
The BBC reports that Ofcom today ruled that "Channel 4 did not fulfil obligations to be impartial and to reflect a range of views on controversial issues...The film also treated interviewees unfairly..."
I remember a lot of people being very angry when the show was broadcast and although this judgement will please them, Ofcom stopped short of saying Channel 4 misled the public as their rules say that has to be "so as to cause harm or offence".
I'm hugely disappointed in Channel 4. I've always seen it as the station most likely to promote reasoned debate and challenge outdated thinking. I have no problem in counter-arguments to the agreed view of climate change as long as it's based on solid evidence.
In this case it seems to me they were so keen to challenge the agreed thinking that they were prepared to overlook facts and misrepresent some of the participants' views.
Come on Channel 4 - you can do better than this.
