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CLIMATE CHANGE:
WE NEED A PROACTIVE MEDIA
Mario Lubetkin
MAY 2008 (IPS) - There is no moderately well-informed person who does not believe that
climate change is, if not the gravest threat facing humanity, at least
one of the top two or three. It is therefore worth asking whether the
performance of the media in this regard rises to the challenge, writes
Mario Lubetkin, Director-General of Inter Press Service (IPS).
In this analysis, Lubetkin writes that addressing climate change
cannot be achieved without the application of firm and constant
pressure by informed and responsible citizens on governments and
industry and without pushing for more effective action by civil
society. It is inconceivable that the people can play this role
without being well-informed, oriented, and stimulated by the media.
Although it is correct to recognise that in the last decades the space
dedicated to the environment has increased, it is also right to expect
the media to improve their coverage by abandoning their attitude of
merely passing on information and beginning to work actively to shape
the opinion of the public and those in power such that they comply
with the objectives set by the international community to address the
problem of climate change.
/NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, CZECH
REPUBLIC, IRELAND, POLAND, UNITED STATES, OR UNITED KINGDOM/
(END/2008)
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