Last week we reported that the folks at the highly respected journal National Geographic are targeting our stretch of the Delaware River for a “geotourism project,” which sounded like something we would whole-heartedly support. After all, the magazine defines geotourism as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.”

As National Geographic explains on its website, “Geotourism goes beyond ‘drive through’ travel. It involves regional communities in providing the visitor with an authentic, enriching experience. It acquaints tourists with local culture and traditions and offers them in-depth opportunities to enjoy the area’s unique natural beauty and biodiversity.”

With a stellar reputation dating back to 1888, how could a community newspaper not support the magazine and their program aimed at bringing good things to the neighborhood? Then, a few hours after the paper went to print, it was announced that a majority stake in the magazine and its non-profit parent organization the National Geographic Society, was being purchased by 21st Century Fox, one of the huge media companies owned by global media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. For about $750 million, Murdoch was buying a majority share in one of the most respected publications in the country, and many in the media industry wondered how this acquisition will play out in the pages of the magazine.

Murdoch has a history of buying publications and changing them radically. In 1976, he purchased the New York Post, and turned up the tabloid elements with headlines such as “Headless body in topless bar.” He also steered the editorial position of the paper sharply to the right politically, where it remains to this day.

In 2007, Murdoch, through one of his companies, purchased the Wall Street Journal, and people who were involved with that at the time accused Murdoch of breaking his promises regarding the paper’s editorial integrity.

One former editor, Fred Emery, recounted an incident that was reported in a Wall Street Journal article in 2007 (www.wsj.com/articles/SB118100557923424501). It said, “Mr. Murdoch called him into his office in March 1982 and said he was considering firing [London] Times editor Harold Evans. Mr. Emery says he reminded Mr. Murdoch of his promise that editors couldn’t be fired without the independent directors’ approval.

“God, you don’t take all that seriously, do you?” Mr. Murdoch answered, according to Mr. Emery. Mr. Emery says he replied: “Of course we do.” Evans was eventually forced out.

Aside from having a reputation for not living up to business agreements, Murdoch also has a reputation as a climate-change denier, a claim that resonated through the Internet after the announcement.

At www.salon.com Jack Mirkinson wrote, “A bastion of popular science is now controlled by a very prominent climate-change denier who, despite his company’s assurances of editorial integrity, has spent decades interfering with the independence of his properties. A tabloid king could now apply the values of the New York Post to one of the world’s oldest magazines.”

A story posted at zmescience.com ran with headline: “The National Geographic just got bought by Rupert Murdoch, the mogul who thinks climate change isn’t real.” And there is reason to believe that Murdoch’s view of climate change has found its way indelibly into the media properties he controls, such as the Fox News Channel.

In 2013, the Union of Concerned Scientists performed a survey of the climate change stories reported on the three cable news channels in the United States. The survey found that Fox News was the least accurate of the three in reporting stories related to climate sciences. The survey said that during that year, 14 stories on Fox about climate change were simply wrong, and 36 contained misleading statements.

That stands in stark contrast to the reputation of the National Geographic Society, which on September 27 will be honored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and will receive the “top environmental award from the United Nations, for efforts in research and education around issues of sustainability.”

The dangers of a partnership between Murdoch and the magazine are already on display for all to see on the National Geographic cable channel, which features reality shows such as inmates going through their lives in the Los Angeles prison system, or residents facing the daily perils of life in Alaska. Anyone turning to this channel expecting to find the kind of excellence the magazine is known for will be greatly disappointed.

It is unfortunate that the current media climate convinced the powers that be at National Geographic that they had to make this deal to assure the organization’s long-term survival, but we certainly hope none of it spills over into geotourism in the Upper Delaware Valley. It’s something to keep our eye on.