Drilled

In the finale of our Real Free Speech Threat season, we look at how the U.S. military and its national security agencies have helped stoke a global crackdown on environmental protest, and bring you the inspiring story of one Filipino land defender who's been targeted by the state for years and is still fighting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Introducing…our first podcast crossover season! Later this year we’ll be bringing you a season in collaboration with the podcast Non-Toxic [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/non-toxic/id1689965252], hosted by journalist and culture critic Daniel Penny, about the intersection between masculinity and climate. In this episode we introduce Daniel and his work, and talk a bit about what you can expect from this season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

We have covered before how the fossil fuel industry created the advertorial [https://drilled.media/news/herb-schmertz]and how it continues work [https://drilled.media/news/drilled-mediagreenwashing-report]with media on the modern incarnation: sponsored content, created by the media outlets themselves [https://drilled.media/news/drilled-mediagreenwashing-report]. To be clear, it’s outlets’ internal brand studios that write op-eds, craft slide shows and videos, and produce podcasts for fossil fuel companies, not their editorial staff. But these services are explicitly marketed as a way to make corporate content mirror the editorial content in style and approach, and when it comes to fossil fuel advertisers it often directly contradicts what the editorial staff is reporting. In late 2023, we published a report detailing the many examples of this and delving into the peer-reviewed research that shows how misleading this practice is to readers. This week, one of the researchers who has contributed the most to that body of evidence, Dr. Michelle Amazeen, at Boston University, published a new study [https://www.nature.com/articles/s44168-025-00209-6] looking at why this practice is particularly misleading on social media, and what media outlets might be able to do to make it less so. She joins us to speak about that research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

A new season of Hazard-NJ is out now, this time diving into PFAS, or "forever chemicals." Find it everywhere you get your pods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

In November, a Dutch court ruled in Shell's favor on an appeal in a big international climate case. It got loads of headlines around the world, but it wasn't quite the win for Shell that a lot of media coverage has made it out to be. Although it walked back some things, the court reaffirmed a key component of the original ruling: that Shell is legally required to reduce its global emissions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]