The Weather Channel Isn’t Too Happy About Breitbart ‘Cherry Picking’ Its Data To Deny Climate Change

The Weather Channel didn’t seem too pleased with a Breitbart article that apparently cherry picked data from its site in order to deny climate change. Their frustration stems from a late November piece that, with the help of a Weather Channel video and additional misused sources, asserts global warming is merely propaganda and therefore not based on science.

To make the situation even more awkward, Breitbart’s article went viral last week when it was tweeted out by the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. The tweet was denounced by many, including many scientists and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), who criticized Breitbart for being shortsighted.

https://twitter.com/HouseScience/status/804402881982066688

While acknowledging Breitbart’s legal right to use their clips, The Weather Channel didn’t feel it was right for the right-leaning website to use their data out of context to help their own case:

Though we would prefer to focus on our usual coverage of weather and climate science, in this case we felt it important to add our two cents — especially because a video clip from weather.com (La Niña in Pacific Affects Weather in New England) was prominently featured at the top of the Breitbart article. Breitbart had the legal right to use this clip as part of a content-sharing agreement with another company, but there should be no assumption that The Weather Company endorses the article associated with it.

They also chastised a Daily Mail article, which Breitbart cited heavily, and debunked a number of claims the two pieces made. However, they ultimately offer a lending hand to the conservative, alt-right website: “Finally, to our friends at Breitbart: The next time you write a climate change article and need fact checking help, please call. We’re here for you. I’m sure we both agree this topic is too important to get wrong.”

(Via The Weather Channel)