Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) responded to a Media Matters study revealing that the major broadcast networks' climate change coverage declined in 2015. The analysis found that the nightly news and Sunday show programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox collectively spent 5 percent less time covering climate change than in 2014, even though there were more newsworthy climate-related events than in previous years. Additionally, the networks rarely addressed the impacts of climate change on national security, the economy, or public health, yet most still found time to provide a forum for climate science denial.

In an email to Media Matters, Israel called the study's findings “a wake up call to the news networks,” adding that climate change is the “most important long term global and national issue” and should not be overlooked. And in a March 7 press release, Schatz called the findings “troubling,” and stated: “The facts are clear. Scientists, governments, and major corporations around the world have accepted the facts about climate change and are having real debates on solutions. In this consequential election year, it's time for news broadcasters to do the same.” Read their full statements below:

Rep. Israel's statement:

As the co-founder of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, I read Media Matters' new study and it's a wake up call to the news networks. The most important long term global and national issue shouldn't be getting short-thrift. People need more information, not less.

Sen. Schatz's statement:  

In a year when nearly 200 countries around the world collectively recognized the threat of climate change and the United States made historic commitments to cut carbon pollution, major networks actually cut their media coverage of climate change. In 2015, the network Sunday shows devoted just 73 minutes to climate change, a ten percent decrease from the year before. What makes these findings even more troubling is the fact that with the little time devoted to climate change, these Sunday shows continued to mislead their audiences by including climate denial as part of the discussion. The facts are clear. Scientists, governments, and major corporations around the world have accepted the facts about climate change and are having real debates on solutions. In this consequential election year, it's time for news broadcasters to do the same.