How the MSNBC Ian Johnston take-down article on James Lovelock
happened and why now? This week, this month. When in fact, there was no news event going on to report. I got the inside scoop here, if you care to know how MSNBC missed the boat on this one and threw a lopsided inside sinker that went nowhere and reported nothing but marketing hype for Lovelock’s 2013 book.

Since when did MSNBC get into the PR and marketing business?

Climate denialists are in Seventh Heaven this month, starting with Marc
Morano’s CLIMATE DEPOT, where news of MSNBC’s sorry and insipid take down of
global warming guru Lovelock by MSNBC editor Ian Johnston has gone gliral —
that’s global and viral mixed together for new portmanteau word. But
in fact, this was not a normal news story and that day was not a normal
news day.

Facts: Ian Johnston is not a reporter for MSNBC. He is an editor. On
his Twitter page, he admits as such. He writes: “I am an editor for
MSNBC.com, and I like to cover stories about [lists topics he likes,
one
of which is environment].” He appears to be a British man. He might even have an inside link to Dr Lovelock via school or family or PR trainging. We’ll know more when he tells the truth on how this non-story transpired. So far, he’s not talking, and he’s not answering my emails. Stonewalling again?

Two: he interviewed Dr Lovelock by telephone at his home in Cornwall,
England, from his news desk in New York. And there was no press conference.

Three: why did this telephone interview take place on that day when in fact
there was NO NEWS about
LOVELOCK or climate change that would warrant such a big news story?

Answer: Aha, Lovelock’s PR people at his publisher in London, or New
York, most likely know
Ian and in anticipation of Lovelock’s new book coming out in 2013, the
PR people asked Ian if he would
like to interview James Lovelock by telephone person to person in the
UK? Of course, Ian took the bait and ran with it. Great story too.
Interesting. But why NOW? It seems that the PR people wanted to create
a pre-publication BUZZ a good 9 months before publication in order to
create a waiting readership for the new book. A great PR move. Ian
fell for it. Ian did not report why or how the interview came about
and that is both unethical and unprofessional. But the PR team is
happy. And Ian got his scoop. And Dr Lovelock doesn’t mind, because he
is a great man and he’s always good for good quotse. Ian’s story
rocked. But
there’s a back story to the MSNBC story we need to know. Now you know it.

It was a PR stunt, a marketing set up, a news gimmick. And MSNBC fell for it.

 

Worse, the entire known blogosphere fell of it. Rightwing and leftwing. Marc Morano and David Roberts. Joe Romm and Ronald Bailey. But I did not. I know a faux story when I read one.

It’s called “reading between the lines.”

Still, the news IS interesting and good on Ian for telling it. Just
wish he had been more forthcoming about the genesis of the alleged
“story.” In fact, there was no story here. When the book comes out in
2013, yes, there
is a legit story then. NOT NOW. Now the entire story was pre-marketing
pre-publication bullshit to set the the stage for book sales later on.

 

 

 

You see Ron Bailey and David Roberts and Joe Romm and Marc Morano, if there really was a news value to this Lovelock story, then there would have been a press con in UK with ten top reporters there, OR Lovelock would have given his “get” to Andy Revkin at the New York Times or Seth Borenstein at AP in DC, but who cares Ian Johnston at msnbcm who is NOT even a reporter. this was an inside job, inside PR job, a savvy Pr drill to create pre-marketint bonanza for the 2013 book. Lovelock did not ask for this. His publishers sat it up and someone at his PR team knew Ian in NYc, Ian is Brit too, and that is how this non story evented……WHY AM I the only internet sleuth to figure this out. you all been had. had good!

 

LINK:

http://pcillu101.blogspot.com

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