Still suffering from an Earth Day hangover, on Monday, NBC’s Today show hailed young climate activists using social media platforms like TikTok to spread left-wing propaganda. The segment lined up liberal teenage influencers to lecture viewers on the environmentalist agenda and show that “climate change is cool.”
“This morning, you are about to meet some TikTok stars who probably aren’t what you’re picturing,” co-host Craig Melvin promised as the segment began. Fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie chimed in: “Yeah, NBC’s Kelly Cobiella introduces us to the teens giving influencers a good name.”
Reporting from London, Cobiella excitedly touted how easily activists were able to spread their political talking points around the world: “Yeah, these guys are dedicated. When you think about climate change, climate science, it’s a complicated topic, right? But they are boiling it down into messages that are like seconds long, and it’s really taking off.”
In between clips of climate change TikTok videos, the reporter gushed: “Take a closer look at TikTok these days and you’ll see a lot more than goofy dance crazes....Climate change is cool, the new influencers are activists.” She cited one user, “Mike Brown and Earthtopia,” and praised him for scolding people who weren’t interested in his hectoring: “A few months ago, his video shaming users for following the latest dance trend instead of his planet-saving page went viral.”
After rewarding that leftist’s whining, Cobiella celebrated: “Teens around the world, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, to get involved and stay involved.” The correspondent then fondly recalled how she promoted an international climate strike by students in 2019: “When I first met Alexandria Villasenor, she was 13, organizing a nationwide school strike for the climate from New York....Two years later and in the middle of a pandemic, she’s organizing online.”
Villasenor pledged that her and her fellow climate crusaders “are going to keep the pressure on our world leaders and consistently remind them what’s at stake here.”
Talking to Brown, Cobiella wondered: “Is this a trend or is this here to stay?” He assured her: “So social media and TikTok is all about trends. Climate change isn’t.”
Wrapping up the report, Cobiella continued fawning:
And here’s the thing, they’re not just so passionate, and you know, forcing change, but they’re also making content that’s really interesting. It’s fun to watch, guys. I went down the climate change rabbit hole on TikTok, and other social media platforms so many times, reporting on this story. And I learned quite a few things as well.
The leftist media don’t see their job as objectively reporting facts, they think it’s up to them to openly champion political causes they happen to agree with and pressure viewers into doing the same. How can anyone trust reporters who have such obvious ulterior motives?
The blatant propaganda was brought to viewers by Home Depot and NTB. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a full transcript of the April 26 segment:
8:43 AM ET
CRAIG MELVIN: We are back, 8:43, on this Monday morning, with Today Goes Green. This morning, you are about to meet some TikTok stars who probably aren’t what you’re picturing.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Yeah, NBC’s Kelly Cobiella introduces us to the teens giving influencers a good name. Hi, Kelly, good morning.
KELLY COBIELLA: Good morning to you guys. Yeah, these guys are dedicated. When you think about climate change, climate science, it’s a complicated topic, right? But they are boiling it down into messages that are like seconds long, and it’s really taking off.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: TikTok Goes Green; How App Influencers Are Fighting Climate Change]
Take a closer look at TikTok these days and you’ll see a lot more than goofy dance crazes.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN A [ECO_TOK]: This is what a climate crisis looks like.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN B [CARISSAANDCLIMATE]: There’s only 73 southern resident killer whales left.
COBIELLA: Climate change is cool, the new influencers are activists.
MIKE BROWN: There are actually five garbage patches in the world’s oceans.
COBIELLA: Like Mike Brown and Earthtopia. A few months ago, his video shaming users for following the latest dance trend instead of his planet-saving page went viral.
BROWN: Within three days, it was four million views. Which is crazy, yeah.
COBIELLA: I mean, that’s reaching a lot of people.
BROWN: It’s so inspiring. That’s why we’re on TikTok, we want to spread tips and understanding to as many people as we can access.
COBIELLA: Teens around the world, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, to get involved and stay involved.
ALEXANDRIA VILLASENOR [MARCH 2019]: The strike for climate has arrived in America.
COBIELLA: When I first met Alexandria Villasenor, she was 13, organizing a nationwide school strike for the climate from New York.
VILLASENOR: Enough youth keep striking and going out to the streets, we’ll get the action that’s needed.COBIELLA: Two years later and in the middle of a pandemic, she’s organizing online.
VILLASENOR: I think every single day that I go on social media, I see another youth activist, and I’m like, well, follow them. We have less than nine years now to take action. We see the urgency. We’re the ones who are going to keep the pressure on our world leaders and consistently remind them what’s at stake here.
COBIELLA: And it’s not just about sharing messages. Activists oceans away are sharing their own problems and their big successes. Protecting the coast in Thailand, saving trees in India.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL [CLIMATE ACTIVIST, INDIA]: You can tackle the climate crisis with big ambitions. You need to try solving the problems around you.
COBIELLA: Picking up plastic in Nigeria and in the Netherlands. Lily Platt started her campaign when she was seven. She’s 13 now with a TED Talk on her resume and spreading her message on Twitter and Facebook too.
It’s a big, big problem, isn’t it? Can one person have an impact?
LILY PLATT: That’s true. Because no matter how small it may seem, eventually it will become such a huge impact that people will somehow find a way to listen.
BROWN: For young people, it can often be overwhelming, the lack of agency you have and the lack of power you have. They can’t vote, they can make a video that can be accessed by thousands of people, or millions of people across the world.
COBIELLA: Is this a trend or is this here to stay?
BROWN: So social media and TikTok is all about trends. Climate change isn’t.
COBIELLA: And here’s the thing, they’re not just so passionate, and you know, forcing change, but they’re also making content that’s really interesting. It’s fun to watch, guys. I went down the climate change rabbit hole on TikTok, and other social media platforms so many times, reporting on this story. And I learned quite a few things as well.
MELVIN: It’s better than the doom scrolling we usually do.
GUTHRIE: I was going to say, as TikTok rabbit holes go, that’s a very wholesome one, Kelly. Good job.
MELVIN: Thanks, Kelly.
