Was it donations from the fossil fuel industry that made The American Bird Conservancy oppose wind energy so vehemently and so suddenly? Although the ABC claims to be pro-wind (in the right place), it has blocked vast amounts of wind projects since 2009 due to the significant estimates of bird deaths from said wind turbines. As author Jasper Craven points out, this may be attributed to the increase in donations from fossil fuel companies and figures (including the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi) during the late 2000s, coinciding with the sudden opposition to wind. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here