- The Sun, The Times and other News UK outlets are suppressing facts about the climate crisis and peddling climate delayism
- The five courageous people who took action to bring this to the public’s attention go on trial on Monday 12 May
- We need an urgent media revolution so people are told the truth about the climate emergency leading to more ambitious action
Action images | 2025 defendants’ portraits | Support XR’s legal fund
Five people involved in a window-breaking action at the headquarters of News UK (formerly News International) in July 2022, go on trial on Monday 12 May at Southwark Crown Court for alleged conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
The Extinction Rebellion supporters broke the windows of News UK to highlight the role of The Sun and The Times newspapers in suppressing facts about the climate crisis, peddling an anti-climate action agenda and slowing the urgent action needed on the climate and nature crisis. [1]
The action was planned carefully to take place on the hottest day ever in the UK, in the middle of an unprecedented heatwave, with temperatures breaking the 40C barrier for the first time [2].
The Sun chose to report on the heatwave by covering its front pages with images of women in bikinis, beachgoers and happy toddlers with ice creams, [3] instead of warning readers of the increased risks from such heatwaves as the climate crisis intensifies, such as food and water shortages and nature decimation, or to tell readers such heatwaves are strongly linked to man-made climate change [4] and the continued use of fossil fuels. [5]
As the trial is due to start, the alleged window breakers today call out media leaders for their role in the climate emergency that poses an existential threat to not just the global economy [5a] but to all life on Earth [5b].
The Sun is a leading player in the fossil fuel industry backed campaign to delay action on climate change known as “climate delayism”. The newspaper is by far the biggest critic of energy secretary Ed Miliband – who has the responsibility for decarbonising the UK’s electricity supply by 2030 – running a relentless attack campaign including 29 editorials in 2024, calling him, amongst other things, a “madman” prone to “demented fantasies”. [6]
The global Murdoch empire – including Fox News, Wall Street Journal and The Australian – has been identified by scientists and researchers as the leading media source of climate doubt, denial and delay, [6a] while Murdoch’s Sky News Australia has served as “a content hub for influencers, sceptics and outlets across the globe”. [6b]
Last month the UK’s only independent press regulator recognised under Royal Charter, Impress, raised concerns about the “worrying lack of independently regulated information [on climate change] reaching the public.” Impress chair Richard Ayre said: “It is barely an exaggeration to say that our futures depend upon getting this right.” [6c]
The action was part of a series of window-breaking actions by Extinction Rebellion supporters in 2021 and 2022 which also targeted HSBC, Barclays, JP Morgan and the Department for Transport for their roles in the climate crisis.
In January this year News UK admitted to running a criminal enterprise involving “phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators” as part of an apology and substantial damages settlement with Prince Harry for intruding on the life of his late mother, Princess Diana. [7] This admission followed years in which the company attempted a cover-up which included shredding documents, a corrupt relationship with the Metropolitan Police and buying victims’ silence with large out-of-court settlements. [8]
Notes for editors
[1] BREAKING: Extinction Rebellion breaks glass at News UK, as nation hits its highest temperature on record: https://extinctionrebellion.uk/2022/07/19/breaking-40-degrees-death-extinction-rebellion-break-glass-at-news-uk-as-nation-hits-its-highest-temperature-on-record/
[2] Record high temperatures verified (Met Office, 28 July 2022): https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2022/record-high-temperatures-verified
[3] HOT HOT HOT Brits bask in hottest day since records began as Met says we’ve hit 40.3C with 1000s packing beaches to enjoy heatwave (The Sun, 19 July 2022): https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19244046/uk-heatwave-schools-closed-train-delays-2
[4] High temperatures exacerbated by climate change made 2022 Northern Hemisphere droughts more likely (World Weather Attribution): https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/high-temperatures-exacerbated-by-climate-change-made-2022-northern-hemisphere-droughts-more-likely
[5] Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis (IPCC): https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/resources/climate-change-in-data/
[5a] Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/03/climate-crisis-on-track-to-destroy-capitalism-warns-allianz-insurer
Climate, Risk, Insurance: The Future of Capitalism: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/climate-risk-insurance-future-capitalism-günther-thallinger-smw5f
[5b] The 2024 state of the climate report: Perilous times on planet Earth: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/74/12/812/7808595
[6] Analysis: UK newspaper editorials attacked Ed Miliband relentlessly throughout 2024: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-newspaper-editorials-attacked-ed-miliband-relentlessly-throughout-2024/
[6a] ‘Climate villain’: scientists say Rupert Murdoch wielded his media empire to sow confusion and doubt: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/sep/23/rupert-murdoch-climate-change-denial
[6b] Deny, Deceive, Delay: Documenting and Responding to Climate Disinformation at COP26 and Beyond: https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Executive-Summary-Deny-Deceive-Delay.pdf
[6b] New Impress Report Into Climate Change News Highlights Need To Boost Independent Regulation (April 2025) https://www.impressorg.com/new-impress-report-into-climate-change-news-highlights-need-to-boost-independent-regulation/
[7] Murdoch’s UK tabloids apologise to Prince Harry and admit intruding on the late Princess Diana (AP, 22 January 2025):
[8] Dial M For Murdoch: News Corporation And The Corruption Of Britain by Tom Watson & Martin Hickman (Allen Lane, 2012)
About Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion (XR) is a decentralised, international and politically non-partisan movement using nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the Climate and Ecological Emergency.
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Time has almost entirely run out to address the climate and ecological crisis which is upon us, including the sixth mass species extinction, global pollution, and increasingly rapid climate change. If urgent and radical action isn’t taken, we’re heading towards 4˚C warming, leading to societal collapse and mass loss of life. The younger generation, racially marginalised communities and the Global South are on the frontline. No one will escape the devastating impacts.
