The Associated Press and three of the nation's biggest newspapers are under pressure to stop referring to climate change "skeptics" in stories, and instead bluntly label those who question the science of global warming as "deniers."

In a report and petition, two groups on Wednesday charged that the media is giving "deniers" cover for what they call wrongheadedness.

The liberal media watchdog Media Matters and Forecast the Facts reviewed stories in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post and said that the term "skeptics" was used 19 times to describe what they call deniers.



They also revealed some success in pressuring the papers to give in on the issue.

In a statement Wednesday, they said, "On May 6, Forecast the Facts sent letters to executive and standards editors at these three publications and, in response, opened up dialogue with editors at both The Washington Post and The New York Times. New York Times Public Editor Margaret Sullivan also wrote in the Public Editor's Journal on May 7, 'readers are right to watch these choices carefully. The difference between skeptic and denier ... may seem minor, but it's really not. Simply put, words matter.'"

They have also started a petition asking the AP to have its stylebook bar the use of "skeptic" when referring to those who question climate change.

"Tell the Associated Press: Establish a rule in the AP StyleBook ruling out the use of 'skeptic' to describe those who deny scientific facts," said the petition.

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.