PBS's Frontline Offers Compelling Documentary: “Climate of Doubt"
A couple of weeks ago, I reported that PBS’s “The News Hour” was rightfully lambasted for their treatment of global warming. They fell into the trap that many media outlets do: they gave equal time to the climate skeptics, even though they are in the slim minority as far as the scientific community is concerned.
Last night, another PBS show, Frontline, aired this documentary called “Climate of Doubt,” a set of interviews that demonstrate how climate skeptics mobilized, built their argument, and undermined public acceptance of a global scientific consensus. This is an extremely powerful and well-constructed piece, from which I conclude, as I’ve so often said, that the power of skilled public relations becomes more awesome and frightening with each passing year. You’d have to go back to Germany in the 1930s to find an era in which PR turned public opinion on an issue so quickly and massively.
My favorite demonstration for the power of media can be summed up in one movie. “Wag the Dog.” Watch that, and realize as you do so, that they made that movie before the new millenium and then think about how much video technology has improved.
I watched the documentary and was favorably impressed with it. I hope that PBS will soon air a documentary about the various nuclear technologies available since few people are aware of them. Most people are aware only of the unfortunate, problematic, and less than optimal nuclear technology which we have implemented.