The Greens will call News Corp Australia executives to appear before a Senate inquiry into greenwashing over a series of front pages promoting gas without clearly disclosing a commercial relationship with gas companies.
The “special reports” ran across News Corp’s metro tabloids the Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Advertiser and The Courier Mail on Monday morning, encouraging Australia to “step on the gas”, despite the series being sponsored by a group of gas companies.
The Herald Sun’s front page on Monday, labelling the sponsored report as “exclusive”.Credit: Herald Sun/News Corp
The reports were presented as news stories on the front page. The link to gas companies was only flagged on pages six and seven, where two full stories ran.
The stories, labelled “exclusive”, disclosed a “proudly sponsored by” tag at the top of the page, featuring APA Group, a gas infrastructure company, while major gas production companies Santos, Tamboran and Jemena also sponsored the series.
The story by News Corp journalist John Rolfe warned of soaring energy prices impacting Australians, leading to higher bills, and that “only gas can save us”. The Daily Telegraph ran a story under the headline “DARK AGES”, stating households would be plunged into darkness but for action on Australia’s gas shortage.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who is chairing the inquiry, told this masthead News Corp’s attempt to disguise paid “propaganda” as actual news risked bringing the profession of journalism into disrepute.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said News Corp executives will be asked to appear in front of the greenwashing inquiry. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
She said company executives would be called to appear at a public hearing in the new year.
“This isn’t journalism – it’s fossil fuel propaganda. It’s as dodgy as it gets,” Hanson-Young said.