The Heartland Documents: Cargo Cult journalism on The Science Show

The following complaint has been lodged with the ABC about a report on The Science Show titled:
EXPOSING THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE
Lodged via ABC's complaint contact page, 11/3/2012.

In a discussion about activist scientist Peter Gleick's actions in stealing documents from the Heartland Institute by an email deception Robyn Williams states:
"Peter Gleick actually his clever trick was to confirm by pretending to be someone else that some papers that somehow got into his hands were in fact the same ones he got from from the Heartland Institute by these other means so that they would confirm that they were real."
This is (presumably) based on a statement made by Peter Gleick on his Huffington post blog where he admitted being responsible for the theft of the Heartland documents.
In that post Gleick states: "At the beginning of 2012, I received an anonymous document in the mail describing what appeared to be details of the Heartland Institute's climate program strategy. It contained information about their funders and the Institute's apparent efforts to muddy public understanding about climate science and policy. I do not know the source of that original document but assumed it was sent to me because of my past exchanges with Heartland and because I was named in it.
Given the potential impact however, I attempted to confirm the accuracy of the information in this document. In an effort to do so, and in a serious lapse of my own and professional judgment and ethics, I solicited and received additional materials directly from the Heartland Institute under someone else's name. The materials the Heartland Institute sent to me confirmed many of the facts in the original document, including especially their 2012 fundraising strategy and budget."
The document that Gleick allegedly "received" was in fact a fake, and significant speculation surrounds the authorship of the document. This was not well covered by the program and only mentioned in passing by the interviewee.
A fact not mentioned by Robyn Williams is that considerable evidence points to Gleick himself being the author (of the faked strategy document). The alleged motivation being to besmirch the Heartland Institute after documents he obtained illegally turned out to be rather banal. This paints the theft, or "trick" as Robyn Williams painfully describes it, in a rather different light.
While it may be factually correct to state the events as suggested by Gleick (though the source of Robyn's statement is not provided) it is remiss of The Science Show not to provide its listeners with the full facts as they are currently known. The story is highly contested and the full truth may only arise out of legal action that may yet be taken in the USA.
The report lacks accuracy as a result, and breaches ABC's editorial policy.

Missing News: Fakegate

Naturally if you just rely on the ABC for your daily summary of what's been happening on our little blue marble, it may come as a surprise to learn that a number of documents were recently illegally acquired from the Heartland Institute in the United States of America. The illegally obtained documents provide a recent snapshot on Heartland's mission "to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems." The Heartland Institute are the publishers of the Non-governmental International panel on climate change (NIPCC) report that challenges and disagrees with aspects of the findings of the Intergovernmental panel of climate change (IPCC). One of the illegally obtained documents, one lauded by activists as highly damaging to Heartland has been shown to be a fake, hence "Fakegate". Again while the rest of the world knows this, it is still to be news to the ABC's audience.
ABC's audience will also have to go elsewhere to discover the source of the illegally obtained documents was none other than an activist scientist, whose reputation as a scientist is now in tatters, his reputation as an activist, for a cause, however is made.

Just wondering how long it will take for the ABC to produce a report, or like the second batch of climategate emails is something else more important?

Apologies for the woeful summary.

The blogosphere has long surpassed ABC's news coverage, hence we offer the following links:
Andy Revkin's blog: Peter Gleick Admits to Deception in Obtaining Heartland Climate Files
One way or the other, Gleick’s use of deception in pursuit of his cause after years of calling out climate deception has destroyed his credibility and harmed others. (Some of the released documents contain information about Heartland employees that has no bearing on the climate fight.) That is his personal tragedy and shame (and I’m sure devastating for his colleagues, friends and family).

Judy Curry's Climate Etc: Breaking News: Gleick Confesses
Gleick on integrity:
A brief lesson in the integrity of science
Climate Change and the Integrity of Science, Again
AGU’s new task force on scientific integrity and ethics begins
Threats to the integrity of science: congressional testimony

I even referenced his testimony in my uncertainty monster paper.
My first interaction with Gleick was he invited me to speak in an AGU session that he was organizing on the integrity of science, my presentation can be found here.
He has made it known to me via email that he has been displeased with my “behavior.” I seem to have gotten his goat to have been mentioned in the fake Heartland strategy doc (hard to believe that he didn’t write this).The irony of it all, this coming from a scientist that has made a particular point about integrity and written many essays and even testified to congress on the subject.Peter Gleick Admits to Deception in Obtaining Heartland Files

Watts Up with That: 

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/02/20/breaking-gleick-confesses

For the record Dr. Gleick, I am not “anonymous, well-funded, and coordinated” as you suggest. And you have damaged me and my business. I suspect I’ll be seeing you in court to protect my rights, along with many others, sir.