By SARAH BRADDOCK

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on Monday about the impact that will occur if global warming reaches an additional 1.5 degrees C.

The Summary for Policymakers emphasized the drastic, unprecedented change that will have to occur if we wish to avoid utter ‘climate catastrophe’ by 2030.

While most news outlets did well in the actual articles covering the report, problems arise in regard to the importance it was given in comparison to other stories of the day. An issue such as this impacts the entire world.

Climate change doesn’t discriminate based on political preference, race, or gender. It impacts everyone and therefore should be what every news outlet is discussing today.

Instead, many news outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News focused their coverage on the Kavanaugh confirmation and, ironically, Hurricane Michael.

The way in which news outlets prioritize stories heavily plays into what their audience is and isn’t knowledgeable about. Therefore, putting articles about the IPCC’s pivotal report, puts consumers in a position where they’re less inclined to be informed about the stakes we’re up against as a planet.

News outlets’ intentions may simply be to attract as many viewers as possible. Subsequently, leading them to focus more on immediate issues in society such as the Kavanaugh confirmation.

Regardless of the motive, I still maintain that it is the responsibility of news media to deliver to Americans, and society at large, coverage of the most pressing issues. And I’m uncertain what could be more pressing than sustaining the thing that is the sole reason for our existence.