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For Immediate Release
Contact: Phone: (202) 588-1000

Fox News Should Tell the Truth About Climate Change

 New Leadership Provides Opportunity to Change Course, Accurately Report and Allow Adequate Airtime on Climate Change, 21 Groups Tell Network

WASHINGTON

As the leadership at Fox News Channel is overhauled, Fox should seize the opportunity to change the course of how it reports on the very serious issue of climate change, a coalition of 21 groups said in a letter (PDF) sent today to Fox executives.

"We urge you to commit to turn the network around on the issue - to ensure that news staff report accurately on climate change and provide an amount of coverage commensurate with its importance, and that commentators, while entitled to their views on matters of opinion, do not mispresent the facts on scientific questions," the letter says.

The groups maintain that climate change is the greatest challenge of this century and state that the main difficulty in addressing it is not developing technological or policy solutions, but rather overcoming political hurdles.

"We cannot secure the policies we need ... because one of our major political parties denies that the problem exists, demonizes and hounds the scientists who study it, and works to stall, weaken, or block outright any attempt to respond to it," the letter reads. "It would be difficult to overstate Fox News Channel's contribution to this political problem. Reporters and commentators at Fox News Channel have propagated an impression nearly opposite the truth to tens of millions of viewers, including thousands of conservative policymakers, for nearly two decades."

The groups seek a meeting with Fox executives and urge Fox to immediately begin to engage in unbiased journalism on climate change.

The letter was led by Public Citizen and Sierra Club and signed by 350.org, Animals Are Sentient Beings, Inc., Center for Media and Democracy, Earth Day Network, Friends of the Earth, GreenLatinos, Greenpeace USA, Justice Action Mobilization Network, Moms Clean Air Force, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Oil Change International, Our Common Earth, Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action, People Demanding Action, Progressive Democrats of America, Safe Climate Campaign, Sustainable Agriculture of Louisville, Sustainable Energy & Economy Network and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

Read the letter (PDF).

Public Citizen is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that champions the public interest in the halls of power. We defend democracy, resist corporate power and work to ensure that government works for the people - not for big corporations. Founded in 1971, we now have 500,000 members and supporters throughout the country.

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