Last Friday the BBC reported on the The World Meteorological Organization’s forecast that 2008 would be slightly cooler than 2007 (which was slightly cooler than 2006). As News Busters reported over the weekend, the BBC had changed the third paragraph of this article in an effort to assure us that the sky is still falling.

Here is how the original article appeared:

Global temperatures will drop slightly this year as a result of the cooling effect of the La Nina current in the Pacific, UN meteorologists have said.

The World Meteorological Organization’s secretary-general, Michel Jarraud, told the BBC it was likely that La Nina would continue into the summer.

This would mean global temperatures have not risen since 1998, prompting some to question climate change theory.

What the BBC printed in that last sentence is not subject to debate, this is a fact that even the IPCC will agree with. Fearing that some people might use that fact to further question climate change propaganda, the BBC decided to alter this article.

Here is how it appears now:

But this year’s temperatures would still be way above the average - and we would soon exceed the record year of 1998 because of global warming induced by greenhouse gases.

Why such a drastic change? It appears the BBC was pressured by a global warming activist affiliated with the British Campaign Against Climate Change.

from Jo Abbess
to Roger Harrabin
date Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 10:12 AM
subject Correction Demanded : “Global temperatures ‘to decrease’”

Dear Roger,

Please can you correct your piece published today entitled “Global
temperatures ‘to decrease’” :-

The letter writer states 2 reasons why the article should be changed, and initially was met with some resistance from the author who proclaimed he was just stating the facts (which he was).

from Roger Harrabin
to Jo Abbess ,
date Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 10:23 AM
subject RE: Correction Demanded : “Global temperatures ‘to decrease’”

Dear Jo

No correction is needed

If the secy-gen of the WMO tells me that global temperatures will
decrease, that’s what we will report

There are scientists who question whether warming will continue as
projected by IPCC

Best wishes
RH

Imagine that, actually reporting on facts as opposed to propaganda. The journalistic ethics of the writer were soon compromised after the letter writer questioned his intelligence:

It would be better if you did not quote the sceptics. Their voice is
heard everywhere, on every channel. They are deliberately obstructing the emergence of the truth.

I would ask : please reserve the main BBC Online channel for emerging truth.

Otherwise, I would have to conclude that you are insufficiently
educated to be able to know when you have been psychologically
manipulated. And that would make you an unreliable reporter.

Less than 20 minutes later the author of the article responded, stating they have changed the headline and more, “tell me you are happier”. Of course the activist was happier because the fact was removed from the article and replaced by propaganda. No one is denying that global temperatures have not risen since 1998, yet anyone who reports this is considered to be “insufficiently educated to be able to know when you have been psychologically manipulated” in the eyes of the warm mongers.

So much for accuracy in reporting!

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