Spinning censorship

Margaret Simons excuses ABC censorship and suggests, after talking to anonymous sources, that a sycophantic Radio National interview with James Hansen explains why Bob Carter’s commissioned essay was rejected.

The Hendrickx and Carter articles were commissioned by The Drum after it published this five-part series by Clive Hamilton on the rise of climate-change denialism.

When the Carter and Hendrickx pieces were rejected, Quadrant magazine  gleefully published them together with the predictable rhetoric of ABC  censorship and "iron curtains".

I understand that the Drum rejected the Hendrickx and Carter pieces on editorial grounds. Carter’s piece was an attack on scientist James Hansen, who had that morning been interviewed on ABC Radio National’s Breakfast program. The feeling was that the Fran Kelly interview had overtaken the Carter piece.

The Hendrickx piece was rejected on grounds of quality, I am told. Although that is somewhat more colourfully expressed by my sources.

Now, thanks to the complaint from Hendrickx (one of many, I believe) both those editorial decisions will be held up to question and sifted through.

Source: Crikey