Climate Science Workshop August 12, 2011Penn State University

TV Meteorologists as Climate Change Educators

Edward Maibach, PhD

Trust in Sources of Information about Climate Change: General Public

Scientists

TV weathercasters

News media

Religious leaders

Barack Obama

Al Gore

Sarah Palin

Arnold Schwarzenegger

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Trust

Source: Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., & Roser-Renouf, C. (2010) Climate change in the American Mind: Americans’ global warming beliefs and attitudes in January 2010. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change.

Trust in Sources of Information about Climate Change: Local TV News Directors

NOAA

State climatologists

My weathercasters

Climate scientists

Science journals

IPCC

News media

Religious leaders

Political leaders

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Trust

Source: Maibach et al (2010) A national survey of TV news directors about climate change: Preliminary findings. Fairfax, VA: Center for Climate Change Communication.

Trust in Sources of Information about Climate Change: Local TV Weathercasters

NOAA

State climatologists

Other weathercasters

Climate scientists

Science journals

IPCC

News media

Religious leaders

Political leaders

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Trust

Source: Maibach, E., Wilson, K & Witte, J. (2010) A National Survey of Television Meteorologists about Climate Change: Preliminary Findings. George Mason University. Fairfax, VA: Center for Climate Change Communication.

Consider TV Weathercasters

Proximity Familiarity

Familiarity Liking

Liking Trust

QED: Proximity Trust

TV weathercasters are seen as being close, familiar, likable and trusted. Moreover, we listen to them with remarkable frequency.

How closely do you follow news about each of the following?

Local weather National politics Sports0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Somewhat closelyVery closely

Source: Yale & George Mason, 2009

Most Americans Rely on Local TV News for Weather Reports

• The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone

survey finds that 54% of Americans watch local TV news for most of their weather information, while 19% tune in to cable TV. Twenty percent (20%) rely on the Internet for most of their weather news. Five percent (5%) listen to the radio, and two percent (2%) get the bulk of their weather news from newspapers.

The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on December 30, 2010. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Assertion #1: Because of their trust and access,TV weathercasters have an unrivaled opportunity

to educate the public about climate change

Assertion #2. Because TV weathercasters excel at telling engaging simple stories about complex phenomenon, they

can help viewers understand the abstraction of climate change in a concrete and personally experienced manner.

Assertion #3. There are large numbers of weathercasters across America who welcome the

opportunity to educate their viewers about climate change, but they will require some assistance

Survey of TV Weathercasters: Are you interested in reporting on climate change?

Interest

YesNo

66%34%

Source: Maibach, E., Wilson, K & Witte, J. (2010) A National Survey of Television Meteorologists about Climate Change: Preliminary Findings. George Mason University. Fairfax, VA: Center for Climate Change Communication

How helpful would the following be in increasing your ability to report on climate change?

Access

to HQ grap

hics

Access

to experts

for in

terviews

Access

to PPTs

Access

to journals

020406080

Very helpful

Very helpful

Source: Maibach, E., Wilson, K & Witte, J. (2010) A National Survey of Television Meteorologists about Climate Change: Preliminary Findings. George Mason University. Fairfax, VA: Center for Climate Change Communication

NSF grant (DRL-0917566): Enabling TV meteorologists to provide viewers with climate change-related science education

1. In-depth interviews with “early adopters” (n=17)

2. National survey of TV weathercasters (and news directors)

3. Pilot-test of broadcast-ready climate change educational materials at WLTX, Columbia, SC

WLTX, Columbia, SC

Jim Gandy, Senior Meteorologist, WLTX, Columbia, SC

http://www.wltx.com/weather/climate/default.aspx

Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) Program, Phase I (CCEP-I)

Program Solicitation NSF 10-542

• National Science Foundation

Directorate for Education & Human Resources

Directorate for Geosciences

Directorate for Biological Sciences

Office of Polar Programs

NSF grant (DUE-1043235):Making the Global Local – Unusual Weather Events as

Climate Change Educational Opportunities

1. Create resources to help interested weathercasters cover climate change

2. Develop educational resources for weathercasters who are unconvinced

3. Increase dialogue (and reduce conflict) between convinced and unconvinced weathercasters & climate scientists

4. Enhance access to relevant citizen science programs

5. Improve the climate change content in meteorology training programs (undergrad and grad)

All 4C reports can be downloaded at: climatechange.gmu.edu