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17 March, 2008
 If the scientists are right climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity. Hardly a day goes by without a dire warning of rising temperatures, increased drought, more violent weather, and melting ice-caps. One of the criticisms of the mainstream media is that, when it comes to ecological issues, they might preach others to change their ways, but are unable to do so themselves. Editorially they may take a progressive stance on climate change, but their paper is still filled with offers for cheap flights and planes. Sometimes the irony is just too much: Take the front page of Sunday’s Observer . The paper ran the headline “Glaciers melt ‘at fastest rate in past 5,000 years”. To accompany the news piece there was a link to the feature article “Lost glaciers start countdown to climate chaos”. Underneath was an advert for Ryanair offering: “1 million free seats: No Taxes, fees or charges”. The Observer warns us about climate chaos, but continues to take advertising from companies that are directly responsible for the coming chaos.
What makes this so important is the media are often the windows through which we see the world. If we open a paper and see adverts for fast cars it makes it acceptable to drive one, if we see offers of cheap flights it makes it acceptable to go on one. However in the past, the Reader’s Editor for the Observer’s sister paper, Ian Mayes has conceded that “'No one I have spoken to in the Guardian believes the curtailment of … airline advertising is a serious option.” This begs the question, how far will we have descended into chaos before papers like the Observer deem that such advertising is unacceptable. You can be sure that by the time they do act, it will be too late. |
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