Tell the Truth!
Confronting Climate Silence on TV News
The Media is Complicit
We demand the media to tell the truth about the most important story in our history.
Shocking climate silence on TV news. The media is refusing to tell the most important story in human history. Television’s silence on the climate emergency is a core foundation of our society’s mass denial.
A Minute of Coverage A Day, Combined
Appalling. In 2020, during the most active hurricane season on record, and during a year of catastrophic fires on the West Coast, the Amazon, and Australia, broadcast news outlets aired less than 7 total hours of coverage the entire year on climate disasters.
Broadcast airways are owned by the public. This is a failure of duty of the highest order.
Seizing Opportune Moments
Climate shocks are accelerating. Fires, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events like the Texas freeze capture the national attention.
The climate movement has not yet leveraged these moments for political gain. These climate shocks are not covered as climate events.
Protest TV stations during Climate Shocks
If we can turn out a protest of 250+ people, at TV stations, during a climate shock, we believe we can transform the entire news cycle.
Launch a Hard-Hitting Campaign Targeting TV News
In-person protest at NYC and DC television studios, especially during climate shocks. There is a possibility for national expansion, with people protesting their local news stations.
The movement is already powerful and well organized in these cities. Turning out significant numbers of protestors should be achievable.
Digital campaign against TV executives to hold them accountable for their climate silence and pressure them to step up, will supplement in-person protest, create a compelling “outside” game.
Working with “Insider” partners who advise and support journalists and media to improve their climate coverage will allow us to be strategic and thoughtful about targets and tactics.
Campaign Current Status
Extinction Rebellion in NYC and DC have been working on a “Tell the truth” campaign targeting the media, particularly NBC, CNN, Washington Post, and New York Times.
They have been comprised of all volunteers thus far. Our capacity building grants are allowing them to hire their first paid staffers.
Our goal is to raise $1,950,000 to support this work.
We are also funding new entries into the space, such as New York Communities for Change. We will continue to build the loose coalition of groups working on the campaign and funders supporting it.
With your support, we believe we can transform how TV news covers the climate emergency.
Campaign Supporters
Annie Leonard, Executive Director, Greenpeace, USA
“I agree with this campaign so much. Going after TV Stations is brilliant - it fills a gap in the social movement ecosystem. A needed niche for sure. A missing piece. It combines power building with systems change. I hope my team in interested in taking part.”
David Fenton, Founder, FENTON Communications
“The media is highly responsive to pressure. And they are under pressure all the time - from oil companies and the right wing. A campaign like this could win quickly. I would be honored to be a part of it.”