MSNBC

Here we present three different videos from MSNBC to check the facts and dissect the reliability of the sources with a SMELL test.

THE REID REPORT:

Global Warming is Not a Weather Forecast (3/4/14)


 Overview:
In this news report, Joy Reid discusses the differences between the terms climate and weather with special guests Michael Mann and Bill Nye.  Following this, a theory is presented stating that it is in the interest of select independent parties that the masses remain “confused” or have doubts on the climate change in order to further their own interests.  Reid, Mann and Nye use the remainder of the segments time asserting a multitude of stats and data in order to support their argument and persuade their viewers that global warming is a real and present problem that the world is facing today (MSNBC, 2014).

 Analysis:
  • Statement: “A list compiled by Forecast the Facts… who’ve gone on record denying global warming exists”


This statement is true.  In the beginning of Reid’s segment, she presents a list compiled by The Center of American Progress that consists of names of individual weather forecasters who have publicly announced their disbelief in global warming (Johnson, 2012).  Upon visiting Forecast the Facts, this information appears valid.

  • Statement: “More than a quarter of tv meteorologists call global warming a scam”

This statement is true.  The statistic that Reid is referring to is mentioned in an article written by a women named Leslie Kaufman who wrote for The New York Times; this specific piece was published on March 29, 2010 and was titled Among Weathercasters, Doubt on Warming (Kaufman, 2010).  Along with this article, George Mason University, who conducted the study, wrote a press release confirming the same information (GMU, 2011). 


  • Statement: “Frank Luntz… advised Republicans and President George W. Bush to stop talking about global warming”

This statement is foggy.  There have been multiple, online sources writing about a supposed memo written by Luntz.  One of which is nigguraths.wordpress.com, who has written an article titled “The Story of the Frank Luntz Memo” (Niggurath, 2013).  The post includes a scan of the supposed article, which can also be found on a variety of different websites.  However, we cannot pin point the actual source of the memo to confirm whether or not it is authentic.  Along with the memo, on March 3, 2003, Oliver Burkeman, through a publication called The Guardian, wrote an article bringing up the fact that “the phrase global warming appeared frequently in President Bush’s speeches in 2001, but decreased to almost nothing during 2002, when the memo was produced “(Burkeman, 2003).  While there has been some hype on the subject, the information available is vague and mostly speculation.

  • Statement: “There is a… religious aversion to believing in global warming”

This statement is foggy.  Reid asks this question to Nye, who confidently responds saying, “it started with the fossil fuel industry, for sure” (MSNBC, 2014).  On a web post by www.hi-global.com, titled (the) History of Fossil Fuel Usage since the Industrial Revolution, gives a good background on the topics history (www.hi-global.com). While the information is there, and there is evidence to support this claim, there is no way to pin point or blame a product or event as the start of this controversial issue. Nye's statement is an opinion, not a fact.

Smell Test

Source
The political commenter, Joy Reid, was a national correspondent for MSNBC News.  She graduated from Harvard University in 1991 with a concentration in film.  Upon graduation, Reid worked a variety of different journalism jobs including but not limited to: being a political columnist for The Miami Herald and the editor of The Reid Report.  Reid has spent years being a dedicated and respected journalist.  She has covered multiple high-profile news stories, including being a press aid for President Barack Obama in his 2004 campaign.  She is educated and has many years of work experience in her field, which makes her a more reliable source.

Motive
Reid is a news station personal, but she works for MSNBC News, who is trying to persuade their audience into believing the information they are presenting to their viewers. 

Evidence
A good chunk of evidence is provided throughout this news segment.  Their intent for this news segment is to persuade and educate their viewers into understanding and accepting what global warming is.  As such, they built their story around the evidence.

Logic
Upon reading up and fact checking the information presented in the segment, the logic appears to be sound.  The stats and cases that are talked about in this clip are verifiable and there is no shortage of well-educated individuals who have commented on the subject at hand.

Left Out
The segment wasn’t very long so there wasn’t enough time to get into the intricate details.  However, there were some questions that never got answered.  For instance, what do the people who cultivate global warming denial-ism gain?  How can the world afford to switch over to these new systems?  Where is the money coming from?  These are just a few things that weren’t answered. 

Conclusion
In short, this video presented its information in an ethical, but biased way. While some of the opinions and data presented were foggy and opinionated, there is logic behind the theories.



PRESIDENT OBAMA:

Climate Change Hurts National Security (5/20/2015)


Overview:
Chris Hayes converses with former Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Thad Allen.  The two of them discuss the different risks that climate change poses to national security.  The segment starts by giving some context to the subject by showing a clip of a speech given by President Barrack Obama.  Following the clip, Hayes listens to Allen talk about his experience with climate change ands explains the effects climate change can/has had on military equipment, crops and civilizations or people(s).

Analysis:
  • Statement: “The depth, the salinity and temperature of water effect how sonar… systems work”

This statement is foggy.  Sonar equipment is used to identify your surroundings and depth in the water (www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov).  Admiral Allen addresses the issue that “when the climate changes, it changes the way the systems operate.”  From here, Allen concludes that if climate has this affect on equipment then it’s “probably true for the rest of the climate as well” (MSNBC, 2015). While it is difficult to find information on how the U.S. Military’s equipment operates on the web, there is basic information available.  Dosits, a credible sea life source writes, “the speed of sound in seawater is not a constant value.  It varies by a small amount from place to place, season to season, morning to evening, and with water depth… sound speed is affected by the oceanographic variables of temperature, salinity, and pressure” (www.dosits.org). Based off of Admiral Allen’s statement, and the information available, it is sensible to conclude that the information is accurate. 

  • Statement: “An updated document… written by Laden discussing the massive consequences of climate change…”

This statement is true.  Hayes mentions the trove of Bin Laden documents that have recently been released, one of which included Bin Laden’s opinion on climate change.  Along with multiple news sources having written on these documents, a translation to part of Bin Laden’s trove confirms this fact (www.odni.gov).


  • Statement: "Climate related crop failures... have something to do with... the operations of ISIS" 
This statement is foggy.  On March 2, 2015, The New York Times released an article written by Henry Fountain titled Researchers Link Syrian Conflict to a Drought Made Worse by Climate Change.  The article states, “an extreme drought in Syria between 2006 and 2009 was most likely due to climate change and that the drought was a factor in the violent uprising that began… in 2011” (Fountain, 2015).  The article continues by explaining the extremities and hardships country faced.  A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences blames these circumstances “on a century-long trend toward warmer and drier conditions in the Eastern Mediterranean… leading to some social scientists… (who) addressed this as… (by) saying the drought had a catalytic effect” (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).  With all the information and cited studies, it still isn’t enough to confirm this claim; it is subjective.

  • Statement: “The exact timing of the D-Day landing was all based on weather”

This statement is true. The question of whether or not the climate and differing military operations go hand in hand was addressed in this news segment.  Allen’s response was that this has been a topic thought about for centuries and that the exact timing of the D-Day landing was ultimately based on weather (MSNBC, 2015).  According to History, a credible news source for past events, writes, “years of… planning went into the D-Day invasion… but success hinged on one element… the weather” (Klein, 2014).

Smell Test

 Source
Admiral Allen is a credible source for the effects that climate change has had on the military.  He is much more in the loop on current issues and the thoughts behind them with the people making the decisions for differing actions with the U.S. military.  With his past career, connections and experience, he is a credible source.

Motive 
The stories, facts, and personnel presented in this interview had the intent of showing a fresh perspective on what climate change is and how it’s effects are being seen by the U.S. Military.  The intent behind this video was to persuade and it’s audience that climate change is a real and current problem the world is facing.  


Evidence 
This news segment was filled with stories, evidence and sources that were used to help make this clip credible.  The main form of evidence was special guest, Admiral Allen, discussing times that he, or his comrades dealt with climate change.


Logic
Admiral Allen bases a lot of his claims off of his personal experience; good portions of his facts are foggy and opinion based.  There is logic to what he’s saying but there is no evidence to support his claims.


Left Out
This segment briefly touched on a variety of different topics but failed to present much information on them. It also failed to highlight any instances that the military had success while combating climate change in some form.
Conclusion

A good portion of the information presented in this news segment is theory and cannot be fact checked. There are bits of data available including a reliable, experienced source that helps to support and strengthen the claims made in this segment; but overall, the journalism here is not wonderful.

ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES:

WI Agency Bans Mention of Climate Change (4/9/2015)
Overview:
In this news clip, MSNBC is reporting on a Wisconsin agency banning the use of the words “climate change” and “global warming” to their employees.  Chris Hayes speaks with Wisconsin’s Secretary of State, Douglas La Follette and has a discussion related to climate change.   

Analysis:
·
  • Statement: "Rick Scott denied reports that state agencies were unofficial banned from using the words climate change or global warming:

This statement is false. While there is not official statement written anywhere, a bundle of employees have come forward saying, "the message was communicated to me and my colleagues by our superiors" (Korten, 2015). Furthermore, at the South Florida Water Management District, a previous employee states, "it was widely known that you couldn't put those words into a report... they just wouldn't make it through the editing process." Scott has denied that any sort of policy exists, saying, "it's not true" (Sherman, 2015). While there is some information building on this matter, there is no way at this time to confirm whether or not Scott and his administration set this policy. 


  •   Statement: “Wisconsin’s Board of Commissioners of Public Lands voted 2-1 to ban any discussion or work related to global warming at the agency” 
This statement is true.  This ban was passed by a vote on a Tuesday in April of 2015.  Upon this passing, State Treasurer Matt Adamczyk, said he “introduced the ban to keep state employees on task” (Lehmann, 2015).  Afterwards, Adamczyk refused to give his personal opinions on climate change, stating, “honestly, I don’t even care to discuss it… I have no role in (climate policy) whatsoever” (Hauer, 2015).


  •    Statement: “Adamczyk tried to get her booted from the board”
This statement is true. Hayes continues on with a story featuring Tia Nelson, daughter of Gaylord Nelson, father of Earth Day. Looking into this further, it is true that since Adamczyk won the election in November of 2014, he has questioned Nelson’s performance and ability for the job; calling her work “theft of the state’s time.”  Looking into whether or not Nelson was placed under orders not to deliberate about climate change on state time, that is the wording of the 2-1 ban placed by the board (Nelson, 2015). 


  •     Statement: “(Wisconsin’s) current Governor has slowed down the use of wind energy”
This statement is true. Walker’s move supposedly “startled wind-energy supporters” (Nussbaum, 2015).  Following this move, from May to October in 2011, Wisconsin recorded the second largest job loss in the nation (Weisberg, 2011). 






Smell Test 

 Source
As Wisconsin’s Secretary of State, Douglas La Follette’s job is to stay current on many political issues that are currently being commented on through a variety of media sources.  While his education and personnel experiences makes him a source with very close proximity to the topic; it also shows his bias.  

Motive
This interview has a strong motive to persuade and change people’s opinions on climate change and individuals in the political system.  Hayes and Follette are attempting to get the public to react in a way that may make a change. 

Evidence
Follette used his education, experiences and some outside sources to provide evidence when he spoke on this news segment.  While he is a good source, he is not an unbiased one.

Logic
Logically, the arguments Hayes and Follette’s make are not faulty.  However, many facts and incidents brought up in this segment are briefly touched over with not much information to follow up with.  There is further, more in depth research needed to truly understand the material being presented to us.

Left Out
This news clip brought up instances when certain individuals working in some branch of the American political system had their bias influence how they reacted to particular current events: which is logical and expected.  However, this segment only presents one side of the issue for most of the topics articulated for the duration of this piece.  We as consumers of mass media need to ask and educate ourselves on the information being presented to use in order to make the most well-informed, calculated synopsis on the subject.

Conclusion
From the facts that were analyzed from this news segment, the majority checked out to be true. The others were logical, but could not provide any proof to support their claims. It is apparent to the viewers of this news clip what the bias of the party is.

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