Associated Press climate reporting funding questioned

Journalist Gary Abernathy has raised questions regarding the funding of climate change reporting within mainstream media outlets. He highlights the Associated Press (AP) as an example of a news organization that has transitioned from delivering unbiased, fact-based journalism to a style he characterizes as activist-driven.

Abernathy points to financial support from the Walton Family Foundation, an organization that has supported environmental initiatives and the Inflation Reduction Act, as a potential influence. He notes that the foundation provided a $785,000 grant in 2021 to fund three AP reporters, with the grant amount increasing two years later. While the AP maintains it is editorially independent and “solely responsible for all content” regarding its climate stories, Abernathy suggests readers should be aware of such financial relationships.

The discussion follows a Pew Research Center analysis indicating that 57% of Americans express low confidence in journalists to act in the best interests of the public, with a significant partisan divide in that trust.