"Innuendo, Half Truths, Misdirection, and Utter Non-Sequiturs"

I think it would be fair to say that Jeff Sachs is unhappy with Rupert Murdoch, and for good reason:

The Murdoch Legacy, by Jeffrey Sachs: At age 80, Rupert Murdoch will be long gone in coming decades when the planet is grappling with greatly intensified climate change. ...

I mention this because Murdoch's paper, the Wall Street Journal, again last week performed its usual disservice by publishing an extremely misleading opinion piece on climate change in the banner location of the paper (Robert Bryce, "Five Truths About Climate Change," October 6). That column is not merely an opinion piece among a range of various opinions. It is part of that paper's steady drumbeat of opposition to action on climate change. And the Journal teams up in this with Murdoch's other propaganda outlet, Fox News.

The real problem with the Journal is this. The Journal's business coverage outside of the opinion pages is important and difficult to replicate (and this is still true even as the professional reporters apparently are facing more intrusions from the Murdoch minions). Excellent reporting draws eyes to the Murdoch propaganda and misinformation on the opinion pages.

In this particular column, the writer, Robert Bryce, purports to tell us five truths about climate change to reach the conclusion that we shouldn't care about carbon emissions. The column is a study in innuendo, half truths,... misdirection..., and utter non-sequiturs. Its purpose is to dissuade us from action on carbon dioxide. ...

Murdoch's News Corporation, the owner of the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, is the opposite of a true news corporation. It is news as in Orwell's newspeak. Its major role is to peddle corporate propaganda, frighten politicians, and make lots of money. In those roles it has been successful. ...