Severe weather as a spectacle: the Meteo-Show

• Main Authors: I. Orbe, S. Gaztelumendi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2017-06-01
• Series: Advances in Science and Research
• Online Access: http://www.adv-sci-res.net/14/153/2017/asr-14-153-2017.pdf

In this work we focus on perhaps one of the worst journalist practice when dealing with severe weather, the <q>Meteo-Show</q> or the extended practice, especially in TV, for using weather and meteorology for spectacle. Journalism today has found weather information in a real <q>goldmine</q> in terms of audience due to the growing public interest in this matter. However, as it happens with other content, sensationalism and exaggeration have also reached weather information, primarily when episodes of adverse nature (snow, heavy rain, floods, etc.) are addressed. In this paper we look to identify the worst practices in weather communication through analysis of examples from real journalist work. We present some keys to understand this trend, highlighting the ingredients that are present in the worst Meteo-show.