Media Backgrounder: Fossil Fuel Fact Check

Misinformation and disinformation about climate change are on the rise. It erodes trust in climate solutions and weakens the political base of support for climate policies and government action. While burning fossil fuels is the primary cause of the climate crisis, conflicting information about oil, gas and coal proliferates and pro-fossil fuel industry narratives are abundant. Despite public awareness about climate change steadily increasing, media stories about climate change are often decontextualized, without reference to how fossil fuels have caused and are accelerating the climate crisis. Similarly, information delivered to the public about fossil fuels and fossil fuel companies from mainstream media and explicitly pro-resource extraction sources usually lack the climate context. This backgrounder raises the alarm about climate mis- and disinformation, highlights common narratives that are used to reinforce and normalize pro-fossil fuel industry perspectives, and aims to supply journalists with quick access to critical context that can be used for more balanced reporting.