Fox News devoted several segments to hyping a deeply flawed Los Angeles Times article that baselessly disputed California Gov. Jerry's Brown comments linking the state's spate of wildfires to climate change. Despite the fact that numerous scientists and major scientific reports have detailed the connection that global warming has to both recent and future wildfires in the Southwest -- and none of the experts cited in the Times article actually contradicted Brown's statements -- Fox News echoed the Times by asserting that climate scientists say there is “no data” to support a link between wildfires and climate change.

On the October 19 edition of Fox & Friends, co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck referenced the Times story in a news rundown, stating, “Scientists are shutting down California Governor Jerry Brown's comments on climate change. Brown blamed wildfires on global warming, and now scientists say there's no data linking the two. How about that?”

Later, on the October 19 edition of America's Newsroom, anchor Bill Hemmer introduced a segment about the Times article by stating: “You may recall some California lawmakers blaming climate change for the devastating wildfires in that state, but a number of climate scientists apparently saying that link does not have support.” During the segment, Fox News chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt stated that the Times “spoke to a range of scientists” who are “saying it is not about climate change when you look at these fires.” A nearly-identical report aired on that day's edition of Fox News' Happening Now.

From the October 19 edition of America's Newsroom: