Pro-Growth Media Bias Fuels Scientific Ignorance

/PRNewswire/ — Journalists are operating under the magnifying glass of a new “media watchdog” on the lookout for bias about growth. Most reporting and commentary in the news media about economic growth and population growth is founded on a cultural myth that endless expansion is both possible and desirable, according to the non-profit that recently launched Growth Bias Busted (www.growthbiasbusted.org).

Citizen-Powered Media created the website to encourage accurate reporting and commentary on issues of growth in population, economies and consumption. Growth Bias Busted spotlights examples of pro-growth bias on its “Wall of Shame,” and celebrates balanced and accurate reporting on its “Wall of Fame.”

“Today when a news story is published about population growth, the headline and story frequently assume population growth is good news. It’s considered a positive indicator for cities, states and nations,” according to Dave Gardner, president of Citizen-Powered Media and director of the documentary GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth. Associate Producer Lynsey Jones adds, “We find the same bias in reporting on GDP growth, housing starts, factory production and retail sales. The fastest growing cities and economies are portrayed as winners in a competition that — when examined closely — is a race to the bottom.”

“We just had a century of unprecedented economic and population growth,” explains Gardner. “During this time we came to think growth is wonderful, and for a time it was. But now we have filled the world with 7 billion ‘consumers’. Earth no longer has excess capacity to support future growth.”

Former World Bank senior economist Herman Daly warns economic growth has become “uneconomic.” The marginal costs exceed the benefits. Scientists doing ecological footprint analysis at the Global Footprint Network report current levels of population and consumption are 50 percent higher than Earth can sustain over the long run. This is causing record levels of species extinction, declining river and aquifer levels, fisheries decline, climate disruption, diminishing soil fertility and many other crises.

“We are in overshoot,” summarizes Gardner. Most journalists, however, haven’t caught up with this basic fact. “They grew up in a culture that thinks bigger is better and we can grow forever.” The warnings of scientists about growth’s negative impacts are seldom mentioned in reporting that extensively quotes economists, elected officials, CEOs and other non-scientists with a vested interest in seeing market and consumption growth. As a result, negative or mixed news is presented as strictly positive. “Reporters and editors need to understand a growing number of experts and members of the public do not view more people, more houses, or more factory production as a sign of success.”

Lynsey Jones notes, “We are telling ourselves fairy tales.” Reporting and commentary that ignore the limits imposed by a finite planet while presenting GDP and population growth as valid metrics for civic, national and societal success reinforce an antiquated value system that keeps humankind on a destructive path. More accurate reporting will encourage society to explore more sustainable goals.

“We hope eventually reporters and commentators will tire of seeing their names on our Wall of Shame,” explains Gardner. “We hope to inspire them to examine their unexamined assumptions about the universal goodness of growth, and to do more balanced reporting as a result.”

Dave Gardner is available for interviews.

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5 Comments on "Pro-Growth Media Bias Fuels Scientific Ignorance"

BillT on Sat, 22nd Jun 2013 1:20 pm

Sorry, you do NOT sign their paychecks Dave. They do what they are told, not what they want to do or what you want them to do. You will change little, but keep trying. Eventually your head will get sore where you are pounding it on the brick wall of corporate rule.

Not only are you up against the corporations, but many religions also. And human nature. But, maybe you can get enough contributions to get wealthy before you leave the country.

dave thompson on Sat, 22nd Jun 2013 2:18 pm

Be a minimalist.

Plantagenet on Sat, 22nd Jun 2013 4:10 pm

Calling for less growth while allowing population to grow unchecked is a recipe for ever greater poverty.

The problem isn’t GDP growth—-the problem is population growth.

DC on Sat, 22nd Jun 2013 4:45 pm

He is quite right you know. Just because he is up against the growth-as-a-religion, does not mean his motives are suspect you know. People need to be aware and informed. And most of here are I like to think. No one here for example, would say, Oh, oh for example the useless metric GDP growth is not a problem, while maintaining Oh, I dont know, population growth is the only problem. You, see, that would indicate an UN-informed person that implicitly supports unlimited economic growth and or doesnt really understand the issue.

Dave, is merely trying to educate anyone(that would happen) to hold such a contradictory set of beliefs in there head. However, I’ll give you he has taken on a big target. People love growth in this day and age-they have been conditioned for several generations now to accept w/o question, growth is everything. However, I see he does give MSM journalists the benefit of the doubt, which I think is a bit of a mistake. Journalists don’t just peddle GDP=godliness stories because its human nature, but because thats what there jobs, ie paychecks depend on.

Still his is an important message and It deserves to be heard. Like Al Bartlett says,

“There is no such no such thing as smart growth, there is only growth”.

Dave Gardner on Sun, 23rd Jun 2013 2:03 am

I appreciate the criticism and skepticism as well as the encouragement.

Yes, we are taking on religion, corporations and human nature. But they need to be challenged, or we are done. Will it be easy? Nothing could be harder!

Yes, some journalists are simply writing what the paycheck demands. But there are still some journalists who are free to write the news as they see it. Both types of journalism, whether corrupted by the dollar or corrupted by years of cultural programming, need to be questioned.

We are challenging both the obsession with economic growth and the ambivalence and avoidance of the population growth issue (plus the promotion of it by those obsessed with economic growth).

Whoever thinks I might get rich off the contributions to our nonprofit is welcome to drop in and look at our books. I’m not getting paid a dime right now. We are not adequately funded at present. I think we deserve adequate funding. If you do, perhaps you’ll pitch in. Visit growthbusters.org and click on the donate button. If you don’t, that’s okay, too. We’ll try to save you along with the rest of civilization!

Dave Gardner
Director of the documentary
GrowthBusters: Hooked on Growth

Pro-Growth Media Bias Fuels Scientific Ignorance

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