Histrionic Fool

Pretentious Nonsense

We have been thoroughly entertained this morning by reading about a superb initiative in Stuff--one of New Zealand's daily news services.  It has decided to get really committed to fighting climate change.  It has decided to appoint a whole bunch of staff to promulgate climate change paranoia. 

The editor of Stuff courageously steps forward to swamp us all in his own version of histrionics.  We have been ruminating upon the contrast between our local rag, Stuff, and the Fox network in the United States. Fox, you recall, has a self-descriptive slogan.  It declares that it's news network reports in a manner that is "Fair, Balanced, and Unafraid.  Stuff has decided to take its paper in a different direction.  It will report in a way that is "Unfair, Prejudiced, and Very Afraid". 

At the bottom of the grand announcement, the Editor-in-chief, Patrick Crewdson tells us that his rag will strive to be completely opposed to coverage that is "Far, Balanced, and Unafraid".  His paper will be on watch for any views, opinions, evidence, or scientific analysis that does not conform to the following editorial policy:

Stuff accepts the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is real and caused by human activity. We welcome robust debate about the appropriate response to climate change, but do not intend to provide a venue for denialism or hoax advocacy. That applies equally to the stories we will publish in Quick! Save the Planet and to our moderation standards for reader comments.

Now that, dear readers, is a hallmark of a muck-racking rag.  Stuff is asserting that when it comes to issues related to climate there is only one "truth" that will be acceptable--Stuff's.  Needless to say, that represents a desperate news-service searching for a meaning-to-life.  From this point on, dear reader, we will all know that nothing Stuff publishes on the weather and climate will be reliable.  Rather, its copy will represent the bloviations of the extremist and propagandist. 

That particular emperor has definitely discarded all his clothes.