CBS News has been incorporating content from Climate Central, a nonprofit climate research group, produced by former CBS staffers. The network has cited Climate Central data dozens of times since 2021, with increased on-air recognition beginning in July 2024. While the partnership aims to enhance climate coverage with scientific data and expert input, critics may question potential biases due to Climate Central’s focus on climate advocacy.
Several CBS News segments produced by former network journalists now include disclaimers acknowledging Climate Central’s involvement in the reporting, highlighting the collaboration’s role in providing in-depth climate coverage. Climate Central’s partnership with CBS News is part of its broader ‘Partnership Journalism’ initiative, which includes collaborations with other media outlets to enhance climate reporting with scientific data and expert insights. The organization emphasizes its commitment to presenting unbiased, non-partisan information about the impacts of climate change, particularly on marginalized communities. However, the extent of CBS News’ editorial independence in these collaborations remains a point of public discussion, particularly as the network continues to face scrutiny over its journalistic standards and potential biases in climate reporting.
Climate Central’s website promotes its ‘Partnership Journalism’ program, which it says ‘contributes data, science and data reporting, editing and guidance to joint features coverage informed by new climate data’ to other outlets. The partnership model allows Climate Central to provide data and scientific expertise while partnering news outlets handle local reporting and editorial work. This collaboration model aims to create more comprehensive and accurate climate coverage by combining data-driven research with on-the-ground reporting. However, the transparency of the partnership process and the extent of editorial control remain topics of debate among media watchdogs and industry observers.
As CBS News continues to navigate the complexities of climate reporting, the collaboration with Climate Central raises questions about the balance between scientific expertise and journalistic independence. While the partnership offers access to valuable data and expert insights, it also presents challenges in maintaining editorial objectivity. Critics argue that the involvement of a nonprofit with a clear commitment to climate advocacy could influence the framing and context of climate-related stories. This dynamic underscores the ongoing need for rigorous fact-checking and adherence to journalistic standards to ensure that climate reporting remains accurate, balanced, and free from potential biases that may arise from partnerships with advocacy organizations.