"Journalists were actually actively looking for the contrarians."

Hence the problems.

If 999 out of 1000 scientists say sane environmental things and 1 is paid to believe the opposite, a journalist presenting both sides equally is not presenting a valid picture.
bbc.com/news/science-environme…

The audacious PR plot that seeded doubt about climate change

Thirty years ago, a bold plan was hatched to persuade people that climate change was not a problem.

^{By Jane McMullen (BBC News)}