Alan MacLeod looks at how the Swedish climate activist widened her focus to the capitalist system and Israeli genocide in Gaza and lost the attention of the corporate press.

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg, wearing a keffiyeh, on Nov. 16, 2024, protests in front of the U.N. office in Yerevan over a forthcoming U.N annual climate conference being set in Baku, Azerbaijan, “an authoritarian petrol state.” (VoA – Voice of America/Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain)
By Alan MacLeod
MintPress News
Once the favored child of the establishment, Greta Thunberg has been dropped by the global elite.
A MintPress News study finds that coverage of Thunberg in The New York Times and Washington Post has dwindled from hundreds of articles per year to barely a handful, precisely as she widens her focus from the environment to the capitalist system that is causing climate breakdown, and the Israeli attack on Gaza, which the Swedish activist has labeled a “genocide.”
Not Your Puppet
Greta Thunberg was once a media darling. Organizing a climate strike at her local school when she was just 15, she shot to fame and was quickly embraced by the establishment. In 2019, she was invited to the European Union Parliament and received a standing ovation from the politicians and diplomats in attendance.
She also spoke in front of the British government. Yet even as she told them that they were a pack of “liars” responsible for “one of the greatest failures of humankind,” the young Swede was applauded in a patronizing manner.
Then Environmental Secretary Michael Gove admitted being moved by her words, stating,
“When I listened to you, I felt great admiration, but also responsibility and guilt. I am of your parents’ generation, and I recognize that we haven’t done nearly enough to address climate change and the broader environmental crisis that we helped to create.”
Her message of the urgent need to address the impending climate crisis was one that was palatable to authorities, who attempted to co-opt her with access and accolades.
In 2019, despite being only 16 years old, she won the Swedish Woman of the Year award and was named by Forbes magazine as one of the world’s 100 most powerful women. Time magazine even awarded her its prestigious Person of the Year, for, in their words, “sounding the alarm about humanity’s predatory relationship with the only home we have,” “bringing to a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders,” and for “showing us all what it might look like when a new generation leads.”
While conservatives were hostile to her from the start, more liberal institutions showered her with attention and praise. The New York Times, for example, described her as “a modern-day Cassandra for the age of climate change,” and noted that her work had “inspired huge children’s demonstrations” across the planet.
Yet Thunberg refused to be turned into a mascot for the elites, and the co-optation failed. As a result, coverage of her in elite media outlets has plummeted to almost nothing, even as she continues to fight for global causes and risks her life trying to break the illegal blockade of Gaza.
This phenomenon can be seen by studying the coverage of Thunberg in The New York Times and The Washington Post. Shooting to public attention in 2018, Thunberg and her activities were, at first, given copious coverage in both newspapers, amounting to hundreds of articles per year in each outlet. Yet this has dwindled to virtually nothing by 2025, with only three Times and two Post articles even mentioning Thunberg, and only one in each covering her in any detail beyond a passing reference.
The data was compiled by searching for the term “Greta Thunberg” in The New York Times archive and Dow Jones Factiva news database, a tool that records the content from more than 32,000 U.S. and international media outlets.

(MintPress)
Dr. Jill Stein, a three-time presidential candidate for the United States Green Party, was not surprised by the findings. “It comes with the territory when you go from inside the box to outside the box, and it is a real sign of integrity when the media stops covering you,” she told MintPress. “Greta has been canceled, like many of the best activists I know of.”
The precipitous drop in corporate media interest closely correlates with Thunberg’s increasingly radical stances. In 2022, she identified capitalism as a prime cause of climate collapse and explained the need for a comprehensive global revolution, stating that:
“What we refer to as ‘normal’ is an extreme system built on the exploitation of people and the planet. It is a system defined by colonialism, imperialism, oppression, and genocide by the so-called global North to accumulate wealth that still shapes our current world order.”
At the same public event, she dismissed the United Nations Climate Change Conferences as a waste of time, and merely an opportunity for “people in power… to [use] greenwashing, lying and cheating.”
She has also gone out of her way to support workers’ struggles against their bosses. Last year, she visited the GKN auto parts factory in Florence, Italy, a site that striking workers have occupied. “Climate justice = workers’ rights,” she explained, noting that,
“[E]very necessity to choose between the struggle for labour and the struggle for climate justice is abolished. The territory defends the factory, the factory defends the territory. The fight to get to the end of the month is the same fight against the end of the world.”
She has spoken out against the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, in support of striking Indian farmers, and against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Undoubtedly, however, it is her solidarity with the Palestinian people and their cause that has earned her the most flak.
In 2021, she shared a social media post accusing Israel of carrying out war crimes, adding that it was “Devastating to follow the developments in Jerusalem and Gaza,” adding the hashtag #SaveSheikhJarrah to her post. In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack and the Israeli bombardment that followed it, she called for an immediate ceasefire and for freedom and justice for Palestine. And last year, she was arrested while protesting Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest.
For these actions, she has been vocally condemned by many of the same outlets that, only a few years previously, had celebrated and promoted her.

Members of European Parliament giving Thunberg a standing ovation for urging them to show climate leadership, 2020. (European Parliament /Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY 2.0)
Just days after her calls for a ceasefire, Forbes magazine ran a story headlined “Greta Thunberg’s stand with Gaza is a problem for the climate change movement,” which claimed that sharing “controversial opinions that only serve to alienate entire demographics” does not “advance an environmental cause,” and “only weakens her ability to advocate and harms the overall climate change movement.”
Another Forbes article described her career arc as a “tragedy” and claimed that she was driven by an all-encompassing “hatred of Israel” and a determination to “destroy the Jewish state.” Meanwhile, influential German publication Der Spiegel, which had awarded her its “Person of the Year” in 2019, branded her an “antisemite.”
For Stein, Thunberg’s media excommunication cannot simply be explained by the notion that the exploits of a 22-year-old organizer are less newsworthy than those of a precocious teenager. Rather, it was her public stances against capitalism, imperialism, and Israel’s actions in Gaza that angered them.
“Each of those [stances] were a step-down in the eyes of mainstream media and the oligarchy they defend,” she said. “You could see the pushback against her starting when she began to speak about climate, social and economic justice. But when she began to take a stand on Gaza, that was the last straw, and you didn’t see her getting mainstream media coverage after that,” she added.
Thunberg sees the fight for a greener world as inseparable from the struggle for political and economic freedom. “For me, there is no way of distinguishing the two,” she said, adding:
“We cannot have climate justice without social justice. The reason why I am a climate activist is not because I want to protect trees. I’m a climate activist because I care about human and planetary well-being, and those are extremely interlinked.”
Dimitri Lascaris, a lawyer and former Green Party of Canada leadership candidate who has sailed on multiple “freedom flotillas” attempting to break the Gaza blockade, said that the shunning of Thunberg also represents “an indictment of the environmental movement.” As Lascaris told MintPress:
“Before Greta took an incredibly courageous stand for the victims of Israel’s genocidal regime, she was the darling of the movement, but many of those same ‘environmentalists’ who lionized her have fallen silent as she risks her life to draw attention to the suffering of Palestinians. Environmental justice and human rights are inextricably linked. If you will not stand with Greta now, then you have no right to call yourself an ‘environmental activist.’”
Dangerous Waters

Madleen ahead of departure from Sicily on June 1. (Tan Safi /Freedom Flotilla )
In addition to her political trajectory, Thunberg recently took a physical journey, sailing on an aid ship to Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade. She was one of 12 public figures to board the Madleen at the Sicilian port of Catania. Others include “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham and French politician Rima Hassan.
The ship was carrying urgently-needed supplies, including flour, rice, and other staples, as well as baby formula, feminine hygiene products, medical supplies, crutches, prosthetic limbs, and water desalination kits.
The Madleen is a small vessel, and the aid was but a drop in the ocean of what authorities say is needed. Organizers, however, emphasized the symbolic importance of breaking the blockade from the outside.
“We are doing this because no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying, because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity,” Thunberg explained. The volunteers and crew were sailing unarmed and had been trained in non-violence.
Corporate media largely ignored the Madleen’s voyage. The New York Times, for example, had not covered it at all [until June 8, after Israel made big news by intercepting the ship].
[By June 6, several days after the ship had begun its journey] The Washington Post had dedicated a single article to it. Other outlets, bitterly denounced the operation. “Greta Thunberg’s narcissism has escalated to terrifying levels,” ran the headline [on June 2] in Britain’s daily, The Telegraph, which labeled it a “self-serving stunt masquerading as a daring act of charity.”
Some commentators displayed even more hostility to the mission. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, for instance, stated that the hopes “Greta and her friends can swim,” openly suggesting the aid ship should be attacked.
In May, the Israeli military attacked another boat attempting to deliver lifesaving aid to Palestine, firing missiles at the vessel just outside Maltese waters. The incident was largely ignored in the Western press.
Stein was impressed by Thunberg’s bravery, telling MintPress:
“It is heroic, it is inspirational, and it is galvanizing to have this example of her and the others on the Freedom Flotilla. Their incredibly courageous, compassionate humanitarian example is the polar opposite of this horrific genocide. They are risking their lives and they know it… But they refuse to accept a genocide, or to be powerless in the face of it.”
The lack of press attention likely does not surprise Thunberg, who identified Western corporate media as active participants in the slaughter.
“Our governments, our institutions, our companies are supporting this genocide… It is our tax money. It is our media who are continuing to dehumanize Palestinians,” she said. “On behalf of the international community, the so-called Western world, I am so sorry that we have betrayed you by not supporting you enough,” she added.
The manner in which the ruling class has collectively dumped Thunberg is far from an isolated incident. Elite liberal forces have historically attempted to defang and dilute radical challenges to the status quo, such as Black Lives Matter, the LGBT liberation movement, and the Occupy Wall Street protests, offering their leaders access and privileges.
If this strategy fails, figures and movements are shunned, rebuked, or attacked. While Martin Luther King focused his attention on racist Southern sheriffs, he was treated with respect. But after his anti-war “Beyond Vietnam” speech, where he trained his guns on the “triple evils of racism, extreme materialism and militarism,” he became public enemy number one, and was ignored, denounced, and, ultimately, assassinated.
Thunberg shows no sign of backing down. “We are standing up for justice, sustainability, liberation for everyone. There can be no climate justice without social justice,” she said. That is precisely the kind of talk that got her ejected from elite polite society in the first place.
Alan MacLeod is Senior Staff Writer for MintPress News. He completed his PhD in 2017 and has since authored two acclaimed books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent, as well as a number of academic articles. He has also contributed to FAIR.org, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, and Common Dreams. Follow Alan on Twitter for more of his work and commentary: @AlanRMacLeod.
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W/o a doubt, Alan MacLeod, clarifies, w/love & reverence, the Gambian proverb, “Gratitude is the best of virtues; ingratitude the worst of vices.”
IMO, maybe, just f/maybe, the next time, the hors d’war aka the US Congress, query each other about “What is a woman?” The answer will be, “A woman, is one of many women, “[SOUNDING The Alarm] about humanity’s predatory relationship with the only home we have,” “bringing to a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders,” [AND]; “[SHOWING] us all what it might look like when a new generation leads,” Greta Thuneberg-SWE, AND, Clare Daly-IRL, Francesca Albanes-ITA, Arundhati Roy-IND, Jill Stein-USA, Caitlin Johnstone-AUS, Diana Johnstone-USA, Cathy Vogan-AUS, Ann Wright-USA, Ann Kostakidis-AUS, Eddie Lloyd-AUS, to name a few G.O.A.T. Women!!!
…… *“When everyone is up front & they’re not playing tricks. When you don’t have no freeloaders out to get their kicks. When it’s nobody’s business the way that you wanna live. “We” just have to remember there’ll be days like this.”
…… “When no one steps on my dreams. There’ll be days like this. When people understand what I mean. There’ll be days like this. When you ring out the changes of how everything is.” Well, everybody, knows, “there’ll be days like this.”
The Madleen’s Crew, knew, “Safe Passage,” on land, in the air, &/or, on the sea, was NOT guaranteed; BUT, “[BREAKING] the 40-year illegal Israeli naval blockade of Gaza; & [STOPPING] the 600-day genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” by creating, upon arrival, a humanitarian corridor,” was worth the risk, the potential sacrifice of life, “swimming w/the sharks.” At any time, the shark can yell, “Shark attack!” And, @ the moment, “the shark,” Israel, seized the Madleen!!! The Crew, imo, w/grace, w/“One heart. One love,” stood righteous, bold & brave!!! “Keep It Lit!!!” TY, Alan MacLeod, CN.
* “There will be days like this,” Van Morrison
Greta is a courageous, intelligent and compassionate young woman. I continue to admire her. She does still have much to learn and will one day understand the invasion of Ukraine in its correct context and in fact how insidious colonialism and imperialism are. I agree with Dr. Jill Stein, when the MSM and corporate elites turn away from you – it means you are doing the right thing.
There’s not a main news outlet that is unbiased, and/or objective when it comes down to Western hegemony and the MIC (which
is good news for CN).
Thank You Alan
The capitalist system isn’t necessarily the primary contributor to the Israeli genocide on Gaza. Though capitalism has indeed historically been the impetus for most major wars, the number one reason for this particular repulsive genocide against the innocent Palestinian people is due almost solely to Israeli Jewish supremacy. (Of course not all Jews are sadistic and violent supremacists.)
For further reading:
“Jewish History, Jewish Religion” by professor Israel Shahak
“Power of Israel in the US” by professor James Petras
Both are relatively short reads.
That’s a far too simplistic and one-dimensional explanation. IMO, the religious mumbo-jumbo is a red herring distraction and lame excuse. This is about maintaining hegemonic POWER for the empire, folks done got lost in the forest for the trees.
The WASP elites of the British, and now American empires are to blame, they created Israel to serve LONG-TERM geo-strategic interests. The historical context is hugely important, but it is comforting to believe that our WASP leaders are helpless and are being held hostage by genocidal maniac Israelis. The WASP elites can hide behind the Israelis, to deflect blame.
However, recall the carpet-bombing of Korea? Carpet-bombing of SE Asia? Millions of innocents were killed as a result, but was that Israel’s fault? The Anglo-Saxon Empire did it, but folk done forgot, we don’t need no stinkin history, we need the Memory Hole. Genocide is as American as Apple pie.
Israel was hammered by Iran’s missiles and much destruction resulted. Meanwhile, the UK/US remains in “splendid isolation” far from the danger. They are “willing to fight until the last Israeli and the last Ukrainian” they are cannon-fodder. So if we really believe that Israel benefits, and Israel calls the shots, we can go live in Tel Aviv or Kiev and see how nice it is.
No. Israel is of little benefit to power centers in the Western empire. No oil industry publications were pushing for the Iraq war or the destruction of Libya and Syria and the Palestinian people in Gaza. Conversely, every single issue of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations CPMAJO’s Daily Alert was calling for the destruction of these countries and has always consistently pushed for war on Iran.
Of course, the Anglo capitalist empire has been responsible for most wars, that’s exactly what I said in my original post. However, this particular genocide is bc of the power of the Israeli Jewish supremacists.
It’s simplistic not be nuanced and notice this distinction.
Whatever makes you feel better. The US is the exceptional, indispensable nation. Amerika uber alles. Merka #1 supremacists.
Meddling in Iranian affairs and regime change in Persia,/Iran go back much farther than Israel. Crack open some history books.
Israel is little benefit? On the contrary. Any country that does not bow to the empire is targeted for regime change. You also forgot about Ukraine. As I said, the empire will fight until the last Israeli, while the exceptional ‘merkan elites hide behind Israel. When the missiles start falling on Tel Aviv again, the “Jewish supremacists” will line up to flee Israel, just like last month.
But it makes you feel better to believe that it is only Jews who are white supremacists, no one is going to tell you any different, it’s emotional. The ugly truth: Genocide is as American as Apple pie.
Greta’s a bright and courageous little thing. But I am surprised to learn she opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That was a disappointment and showed she has so much to learn. Yet, I support and admire her.
Yes, going to Kiev to show support for Ukraine showed a lack of understanding of the nature and history of the war. Even some commentators I admire, who DO understand these things, say they condemn or don’t support Russia’s invasion. It’s an irrational position.
But she’s brave and still very young.
All is vanity, all is passing. It is sad to see how the “Establishment” turns on it’s best. Then again, the “Establishment ” always turns on it’s best and brightest.