Activists have targeted the headquarters of News UK, publisher of The Sun newspaper, claiming the media outlet has glossed over the scale of the climate crisis facing the country.  

Extinction Rebellion (XR) protestors smashed windows and daubed graffiti outside the publisher’s London HQ this morning, calling on the Rupert Murdoch-owned business to “tell the truth”.  

As a heatwave grips the country, with temperatures of 40c forecast for parts of the UK, campaigners claimed that The Sun newspaper was complicit in facilitating climate change denial through its light-hearted reporting of the surging summer heat.  

The action comes just two days after six healthcare professionals, including two GPs, were arrested for breaking windows at JP Morgan’s Canary Wharf HQ.  

On Saturday, the British Government declared the nation’s first ever level 4 national emergency heat red alert. 

Extinction Rebellion accused sections of the media downplaying the severity of the heatwave, with headlines such as “It’s not the end of the world! Just stay cool and carry on” and “Leaps of fun”. 

The Sun chose to cover their front pages in images of women in bikinis, beach goers and happy toddlers with ice creams. 

The group said the media should be warning readers of the increased risks from such heatwaves as the climate crisis intensifies.  

The Herald:

The campaigners used chisels to smash windows 

Steve Tooze, member of XR and former journalist at the Sun and Daily Mail, said: “These newspapers have spent 30 life-or-death years denying or ignoring the climate crisis to ensure that business bs usual keeps the money flowing into their already obscenely-bloated bank accounts. As a result, millions of us still have no clue about the terrifying dangers that threaten us.  

“Newspapers that treat a deadly heat wave as an invitation to a fun day on the beach and use it to advance their puerile and divisive culture war nonsense are not newspapers at all.  

“They are propaganda sheets for very rich and evil men. We are no longer prepared to sit at home feeling angry and despairing at the lies and disinformation.” 

Dr Jenna Lawson, research associate in biodiversity and sustainability at Imperial College London, says: “Scientists agree almost unanimously that climate change is human induced and we have shown that fossil fuels are by far the biggest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions.  

“Yet the media continually fails to convey the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis. This week, whilst they have covered the heatwave currently gripping the UK and indeed many parts of Europe, they have underreported the links to climate change and failed to link this to fossil fuel use.” 

She added: “It is absolute madness to witness the devastating effects of climate change and continue to make fossil fuel investments and attempt to reduce our commitments to tackle what is the greatest threat the world has ever faced. It is the job of the media to bring forward these issues into the public domain, something which they continually fail at.”