https://www.foxnews.com/media/cbs-news-leans-reporting-produced-outside-climate-change-group
Climate Central is a ‘nonadvocacy organization’ that ‘communicates climate change science, effects, and solutions’
By Joseph A. Wulfsohn Fox News
CBS News has leaned on content from a climate change group produced by former network staffers.
In recent weeks, CBS News has disclosed in both on-air and online reports its coordination with Climate Central, a nonprofit that calls itself a “policy-neutral” and “independent group of scientists and communicators who research and report the facts about our changing climate and how it affects people’s lives.”
CBS News has cited Climate Central research dozens of times since 2021, according to Grabien transcripts. But it wasn’t until July that the network began consistently referring to “our partners at Climate Central” on air.
Last month, CBS News published a story about melting glaciers that also aired on “Sunday Morning.” Ben Tracy was the correspondent on the segment, with his byline at the top of the article. A disclaimer at the bottom read, “Story produced by Chris Spinder, in partnership with Climate Central. Editor: Chris Jolly.”
Another CBS News article in July, also tied to an on-air segment with Tracy, included the disclaimer that the story was “produced in partnership with Climate Central.”
Tracy and Spinder don’t work for CBS News, at least not anymore. They work for Climate Central. Only Jolly is a current CBS News staffer, according to his LinkedIn page.
An article published on CBS News’ website features Ben Tracy in the byline and discloses to readers that the report was “produced in partnership with Climate Central.” (Screenshots/CBS News)
Climate Central’s website promotes its “Partnership Journalism” program, which it says “contributes data, science and data reporting, editing and guidance to joint features coverage informed by new climate data” to other outlets.
“A partner outlet contributes local reporting, including field reporting, photography and some editing for a story. We contribute data and charts plus a science reporter and an editor,” Climate Central states. “For a text story, we help craft a feature in a way that puts climate change in appropriate and accurate context. For broadcast media, we provide story and interview suggestions and help develop and review scripts. Climate Central’s researchers assist with fact-checking.”
Outlining how it gets credited, Climate Central says, “We share bylines with print partners and ask broadcast partners to mention our partnership in their coverage.” It also says, “There is no charge to the authors or their institutions and the work is explanatory, not promotional.”
Tracy, CBS News’ former senior national and environmental correspondent, left the network in September 2024. On his Instagram page, he now calls himself a “Climate Journalist on assignment for Climate Central.”
“For Climate Central, I’m Ben Tracy,” he says to viewers at the end of his on-air reports.
Spinder, a longtime producer for CBS News, left the network in May and immediately joined Climate Central as a senior producer, according to his LinkedIn page.
“I produce network-quality, broadcast-standard feature news stories focusing on climate and environmental topics and distribute them to 200+ stations across the United States,” Spinder writes on his Linkedin profile. “We operate in conjunction with the independent, nonprofit, non-partisan science-based platform Climate Central and adhere to the highest level of journalistic standards that we’ve practiced for decades working inside traditional network news operations including CBS Network News.”
Climate Central describes itself as a “nonadvocacy organization” that “communicates climate change science, effects, and solutions to the public and decision-makers.” Among its stated values: “We advance no specific policy, legislation, or technology to address climate change. We are scrupulously non-advocacy and non-partisan.”
The organization emphasizes “equity,” writing, “We are committed to investigating and communicating the unequal burdens of climate change and to engaging with affected communities,” a sentiment echoed in its “Fairness statement.”
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It gets better. CC’s ex-president helped drive the campaign (covered by your colleagues) to get to the judges with plaintiffs witnesses and amici ‘experts’ before the judges get climate lawsuits @powerthefuture @ClimateLitWatch pic.twitter.com/UX5gQ0QVuA
— Chris Horner (@Chris_C_Horner) September 5, 2025
Heyoo… Climate Central presented at the April 2016 "secret meeting at Harvard" with law enforcement to launch climate lawfare, for AGs, activists, and "prospective funders" https://t.co/m0tWBpVwF1 https://t.co/Qt2xIgnLa3 pic.twitter.com/KZXDmDZZOu
— Chris Horner (@Chris_C_Horner) September 5, 2025
