UPDATE: Jones' BBC Interview missing in action-rogue chickens are not

ABC Audience and Consumer affairs have replied to our complaint about the missing Jones interview. This was the BBC interview in which Dr Phil Jones, climate scientist at the centre of the Climategate controversy, made a number of assertions on the state of climate change science including the following stunning claims: 
No statistically significant warming since 1995.
Debate over Medieval Warm Period not settled.
The rates of warming from 1860-1880, 1910-1940 and 1975-1998 were statistically identical 
Cooling from January 2002 is not statistically significant but has occurred at -0.12C per decade.
Says the debate is not over!

The BBC report of the interview can be found HERE, and the interview questions and Dr Jones' response can be found HERE. 


ABC replied with the following: Section 5.2.2(d) of the ABC Editorial Policies states that editorial judgements are based on news values.   What is, or is not, considered newsworthy is a decision made at the discretion of ABC News editorial managers, based on their considerable editorial experience.

ABC News Online is not a specialist website reporting only on the topic of climate science and not every development or aspect of the issue will be reported on the site.  ABC News editorial managers will continue to assess stories on this subject on their merits.

ABC NEWS WATCH is left baffled as to why ABC news editors didn't run this highly significant story. On the same day BBC reported on Dr Jones interview with its far ranging implications for climate change policy, ABC News editors judged that spending tax payers money covering rogue chickens "Chickens rounded up after truck smash" had greater news value! I guess we at ABC NEWS WATCH don't have the benefit of ABC News editors considerable editorial experience but we felt that the BBC Jones interview was a worthwhile news event that deserved some coverage.

Those who rely on ABC for all their news and current affairs should be mindful of what they are missing out on. There's more happening in the world than rogue chickens menacing our nations highways. 

We are left wondering how ABC's proposed 24 hour news service will find enough comical traffic accidents to fill in all that time. Perhaps they can call on Channel Nine's Funniest Home Video's show for some assistance.