Reuters climate coverage continues to decline

Reuters’ coverage of climate change issues has continued to decline, according to a report from Denise Robbins of Media Matters for America.

Robbins writes, “Former Reporter: “Skeptic” Editor Ingrassia Created A ‘Climate Of Fear’ In The Newsroom. In July 2013, former Reuters Asia climate change correspondent David Fogarty revealed that when Paul Ingrassia —  a self-identified ‘climate change sceptic’ — took over as deputy editor-in-chief, a”climate of fear” surrounding climate change coverage followed….

“Since Ingrassia’s Promotion To Managing Editor, Reuters’ Climate Coverage Has Decreased Further. A Media Matters analysis released on July 23, 2013, supported Fogarty’s suspicions, finding that Reuters reported on climate change almost twice as much before Ingrassia became deputy editor-in-chief. Since Ingrassia became managing editor in February 2013, Reuters’ climate coverage has only worsened according to an analysis of the six-month period following our initial study. From July 24, 2013, to January 24, 2014, Reuters published 221 articles and 103 mentions about climate change, for a total of 324 stories. This is an 8 percent drop from 353 stories during an equivalent time period under the ‘skeptic’ editor’s regime (which saw 353 total stories), and a more than 50 percent decrease from an equivalent time period before Ingrassia took over (675 total stories).

“Just under half of Reuters’ coverage (44 percent) was focused on policy — a decrease from our previous study (63 percent) — and coverage focused on science increased slightly from 12 percent to 14 percent. The articles quoted primarily politicians and government officials (45 percent of the time) — similar to the previous study (41 percent) — but their usage of scientists increased slightly to 19 percent of the time from 12 percent. [Media Matters, 7/23/13] [University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2/4/13]”

Read more here.