More4 News Blog

Are we guilty of Climate Change porn?

A piece of research kicking around this morning suggests that alarmist climate change language is tantamount to 'porn'

Doubtless we'll be discussing its implications at our 10am news meeting.

The study by the Institute for Public Policy Research, analysed more than 600 articles from the UK press as well as over 90 TV radio and press advertisements, news clips and websites to find out how the media, government and green groups are communicating climate change.

Simon Retallack, IPPR head of climate change, told Channel 4 News Radio's The Morning Report that coverage is typified by headlines like 'A World of Climate Change chaos spiralling out of control'.

"[Coverage] focuses on the impact at the exclusive almost of everything else" he said. "And those impacts are made to seem awesome, terrible, immense and the critical point is that they seem beyond human control. Given climate change is a problem we can address it seems counterproductive to give people the impression that there's nothing people can do about it."

You can subscribe to The Morning Report here. Picture Credit: Pyrator

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Iain Dale: "Ming has no oomph..."

Politicians head out for their summer holidays this week, but they won't all be relaxing by the pool reading (or even writing) trashy novels.

One politico in particular knows he has something much more important to write - a killer speech for the party conference. Ming Campbell is one poor performance away from disaster, says our resident political blog critic Iain Dale.

He's been surveying the Lib Dem blogosphere looking for positive comments about Ming Campbell, and hasn't found any - because there aren't any. Let us know if you know different!

His blogger of the week is Dizzy Thinks , a right of centre blogger who 'avoids ranting'. Now there's something worth reading.

You can hear his report here. Iain can still be found at his usual poolside retreat - iaindale.blogspot.com.

'If you're passionate about God you have to feel anger towards Martin Sheen's character'

More4 News may have said its teary goodbye West Wing just last week last week but in the US podcasters said farewell two months ago.

This show split American viewers right down the middle, a fact reflected in podland as Ben King discusses in his weekly Top of the Pods segment for Channel 4 News Radio's The Morning Report.

The TV Guide podcast said it the final episodes were a "classy" if "slow" way to go and agreed that "the gift from Leo from from the grave harking back to a classic early episode was nice". The gift in question? A bar napkin with the words 'Bartlett for America' scrawled on one side.

Why Bush should have allowed Blair to talk to the enemy

Concentrating on the 'Yo, Blair' has meant most people have missed the far more significant 'No, Blair', says Jon Snow in this week's Snowmail.

Behind George Bush and Tony Blair's matey joshing at the G8 summit was a very real offer to talk to the powers involved. Bush rejected the offer instead choosing more publicly to ostracise those behind Hezbollah, Iran and Syria.

But while the UK spends £20m of taxpayers money maintaining relations with Iran and Syria, the US spends nothing on diplomatic relations with Iran beyond a servicing charge to the Swiss for handling consular matters - and merely maintains a charge d'affaires in Damascus.

Britain is exceptionally placed to talk to the enemy.

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Does this look like a Million Dollar Body?

A student from Stockholm has come up with the idea of giving companies the opportunity to tattoo his body - for commercial purposes.

It's a rip off of the successful Million Dollar homepage - which featured the same idea with pixels.

The Million Dollar homepage sold pixels for $1 each. Philip Airosa, the 21 year-old Swede behind Million Dollar Body, is charging $1,000 per square centimeter.

Airosa's business partner told Channel 4 Radio's Morning Report: "We are one hour from our first tattoo".

Iain Dale: The great Israel debate

Iain Dale files another report from the political blogosphere this week for Channel4 Radio's Morning Report.

This week, Iain dips his toes into the troubled waters of the Middle East - cue a deluge of emails and comments to his weblog.

The green ink bridage of vocal lunatics are out in force, but so are many thoughtful readers with interesting things to say. And they seem to be thinking outside the usual dividing lines of left and right.

His blogger of the week is Clive Davis, who writes about 'Politics and Culture from both sides of the Atlantic.'

You can hear his report here. And he's still blogging away at his usual hangout - iaindale.blogspot.com.

Everyday life in Israel

Jon Snow is in Israel, talking to ordinary people about the war.

From the Israeli troops in Humvees in Ramallah on the West Bank, to students in Jerusalem's Hebrew University, to a bomb shelter in Haifa, he hears a diversity of opinion, but similar experiences.

The Israelis in the bomb shelter have the same look of weary resignation as the Palestinians stuck at the illegal roadblock on the West Bank.

But where, in all this, are the Western Powers?

Listen to Snowmail now or sign up here to receive Snowmail on More4 every week

Iain Dale: Speed-humps and back-stabbing

Iain Dale files another report from the political blogosphere this week for Channel4 Radio's Morning Report.

This episode reveals some surprising stories - the Tory behemoth whose lasting legacy was the introduction of the speed hump.

Also, how David Miliband found himself on the front page of the Sunday Times, courtesy of a tip-off from Downing Street. But which address? Number 10 or Number 11? Well, Guido Fawkes happened to overhear.

He also mentions Ellee Seymour, and his blog of the week is Stephen Pollard, for his caustic analysis. One of the few mainstream media commentators who understands what blogging is all about.

You can hear his report here.

A hectic day in the newsroom

So much for the silly season - this July is anything but quiet. In his latest Snowmail, Jon Snow reports on a particularly hectic day in the newsroom.

Zinedine Zidane will declare why he butted Marco Materazzi while the show is on the air. War is erupting across the Middle East, while our correspondent in Mumbai has an impressive report on the aftermath of the train bombings there.

What will make the lead package? When Zizou is involved, it's never what you expect.

Listen to Snowmail now or sign up here to receive Snowmail on More4 every week

My role in the Prescott Affair

"The mainstream media has indulged in orgy of self analysis this week after top blogger Guido Fawkes revealed the identity of a female Labour MP said to have had an affair with our beloved deputy Prime Minister," notes Iain Dale in this morning's podcast for Channel 4 News Radio's The Morning Report.

Guido and Dale both played a part in keeping the Prescott story on the boil. As a result, Dale argues, the Government is trying to rubbish them.

"For the first time the new Labour spin machine has been directed at bloggers trying to undermine us, pretending that our strings have been pulled by others - and questioning our sources.

"Even John Prescott himself has got in on the act, slagging me off on Radio 4's Today Programme, pretending he didn't know what blogging was. Funny how he had his own blog during the election. Don't tell me he didn't write it himself."

You can hear Iain Dale's weekly podcast every Wednesday on The Morning Report from Channel 4 News Radio.