The Daily Mail - our first attempt did not go especially well...
This morning we – Claudia (our resident climate change expert), Sophie (our youngest member – 21 and terrified of climate collapse), Jo (our brilliant photographer) and me (Tamsin – very good at being bolshy) – decided to go and meet the editors of the Daily Express, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail. We’d emailed ahead asking for meetings but unfortunately these requests were declined. Our aim was to ask editors what is going through their heads when they choose an editorial stance which does not just ignore climate change, but does everything it can to discredit the simple facts of climate science. For examples of this just check out The Telegraph‘s most recent article about climate change, and the Daily Mail’s, and the Daily Express. Pretty depressing (or confusing – if you’re still unconvinced by the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is much more dangerous because of our CO2 emissions).
But how were we going to get past the front desk receptionist (scary power-house women with much more perfect make-up than I see very often – no offense pals)?
It wasn’t until the final destination on our hit list (no we are not ‘eco-murdresses’ – we just like cool spy lingo) that we hit the formula just right. It’s a mix between oozing charm and grabbing shamelessly on the opportunities that present themselves (and not minding that the people you were just charming are now looking at you like a speck of sh*t on their shoe).
At the Daily Mail we were all charms until we were told that the editor was out and wouldn’t return, well – ever, and especially not if we hung around. It was time to go for it so we just walked through the door into the foyer of the offices and started handing out our ‘Climate Change – what would convince you?’ cards (if you want any just comment or email and we’ll send some your way). We asked a couple of journalists to direct us to the editor’s office but seconds later and security were carrying us out.
At the Telegraph we didn’t even bother. The editor’s PA came down, explained that he was away (what a surprise) and then turned on her heal with the gates clicking locked behind her.
And then the Express – my favourite tabloid to hate with their ridiculous headlines: Climate change lies exposed (etc). We sat in reception whilst we worked out a plan. This office was the most like fort knox. Not only did you need a card key to get into the building, but once in you needed a card for every single door that you wanted to pass through. It wasn’t looking hopeful.
The receptionist kept glancing our way and then a man came out of the first of the doors into the building. We held the door that he let swing close and walked briskly into the lift area. The first lift that came we got into and followed the people with whom we shared the lift into the cafe (they had the key-card). Once in the cafe we wondered what we should do.
Instead of making a scene there we decided that having made it so far we Really wanted to see the editor. I went up to two women eating their lunch and asked if they could take me to the editors office. I explained that we’d been taken up from reception but somehow during the lift interchanges, we’d been left behind and lost. They nodded kindly and took us (with their key-cards) into the main Express newsroom.
Sophie and Claudia immediately started handing our climate change fact cards to every journalist as they beavered away at their desk. Some of the journalists asked about the sashes we wore – Deeds not Words – which led to Sophie striking up a conversation about the Suffragettes. The woman who had led us this far into the heart of the Express realised she had made a mistake. I asked her if she would take us to her editor.
She shouted ‘Ian – can you come and help please’ at a man, 44 years old with a vegetarian daughter. He was introduced as the ‘Managing Editor’. Bingo!
He took us downstairs and we had a 20 minute meeting with one of the most important men in that building. He admitted that he was yet to be convinced about climate change which made us all want to put our heads in our hands. He told us that newspapers are a business and that the front page sells the paper – he said no-one would buy papers with front pages about climate change. He agreed that the ‘climate science has been discredited’ is a popular public narrative. He even agreed that the newspapers probably have to bear some (A LOT) of responsibility for that fact. He did not have any ideas for how we might get more reporting about climate change.
But that’s okay. He doesn’t need to have the answers. And he did help us understand the problem. Here at Climate Rush we think we may have some answers. This is why we want you to come to the launch of phase two at the Toynbee Hall on Wednesday 13th October. Climate change is happening. It is happening right now. And there are very powerful people who don’t even believe that. We can educate them. We can make it so they cannot ignore our voice. But to do that we’ve got to get together. So join Climate Rush. Share stories. Get involved. Change the world.
