Gore can't get a break at NPR

NPR gets a few raspberries from Media Matters for its coverage of Al Gore and global warming. Media Matters contends that NPR took part in right-wing smears and attacks on Gore.

First there’s “NPR's Harris faulted Gore's global warming ‘facts,’ while getting ‘facts" wrong.” That story points out factual errors from science reporter Richard Harris, shown at left. Further, host Renee Montagne says “some scientists” question Gore’s data and conclusions but doesn’t name a single one. In fact, on the NPR website, the headline is “Gore on Climate Change: Scientists Respond,” although not a single named scientist is mentioned.

The Harris gaffe is mentioned again in “Myths and falsehoods about global warming,” a good summary of the right’s attempt to debunk good science. This article relates Harris’ reporting to the larger right wing effort to portray Gore as an exaggerator through “false comparisons and misrepresentations of his claims.” This is noted again in “Media revive, retool, and create anti-Gore smears and attacks.”

I didn’t vote for Gore in 2000, but enough is enough. He’s not going to run for President again, or likely any national public office. He’s performing a valuable public service educating people about global warming, and, if you have a beef with that, attack the arguments fairly. Ad hominem arguments don’t cut the mustard.