Guardian newspaper changes climate language, explains an article entitled “Why the Guardian is changing the language it uses about the environment” in The Guardian, 17 May 2019.
The Guardian newspaper has issued changes to it style guide for articles on climate and environmental issues. The style guide now includes the following directives: “Climate change is no longer considered to accurately reflect the seriousness of the situation; use climate emergency, crisis or breakdown instead”.
Editors have been instructed to use the terms “Climate science deniers or climate deniers, instead of climate sceptics because they claim: “the OED defines a sceptic as ‘a seeker of the truth; an inquirer who has not yet arrived at definite conclusions’. Most ‘climate sceptics’, in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, deny climate change is happening, or is caused by human activity, so denier is more accurate”. (OED is the Oxford English Dictionary) (bold text in original)
Katharine Viner, the editor in chief of the Guardian, explained the reason for the change in language: “We want to ensure that we are being scientifically precise, while also communicating clearly with readers on this very important issue, The phrase ‘climate change’, for example, sounds rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity. She went on to say: “Increasingly, climate scientists and organisations from the UN to the Met Office are changing their terminology, and using stronger language to describe the situation we’re in.”
Links: Guardian Article, Style Guide
Editorial Comment: Publicly declaring such an editing policy change has little precedent in the history of newspapers, so are they actually boasting about deliberately manipulating the language to make the issue more inflammatory? Do they think we are stupid? If they really were being “scientifically precise”, they would not have to resort to using such dramatic language. Their arrogance is extraordinary.
For some more sceptical (as in the OED definition) comments on climate from the editors of this newsletter, search for “climate” in the Creation Research Fact File. Also see global warming, ice, Antarctic, arctic, CO2 etc.
Evidence News vol. 19 No. 9
22 May 2019
Creation Research Australia
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