CNN: News managers pressure meteorologists to hype?

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers turned some heads with his comments suggesting some local market TV news managers encourage meteorologists to inflate snowfall forecasts to boost interest in an inbound winter storm.

Here's an excerpt from the story at Adweek.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers touched off a debate about weather forecasting today when he said local news directors often tell meteorologists to hype a storm to get viewers to tune in.

In a live report during Reliable Sources this morning, as Myers was driving around New York City covering the blizzard, Brian Stelter asked: “Is there a different dynamic for a national broadcaster than a local one?”

Myers said: “I’ve worked at many local stations. I’ve worked in Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Oklahoma City, and news directors will always say, ‘Hey, bump up your numbers a little bit, make it sound a little more juicy.’ We don’t do that at CNN because we don’t have to, because would have to bump up everything.”

He continued: “Now. Yes, there are places across the country, that say ‘make this sound a little bit better.’ But clearly we don’t do it nationally.”

NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen questioned the comment on Twitter, which got other meteorologists to chime in:

Chad's comments touched off responses from local TV mets.

For what it's worth my perspective is this. I happen to respect Chad's work and like his broadcast style overall on CNN. Like most of the network broadcast meteorologists, he did a good job with the Blizzard of 2016. I do think he may have missed the mark on these comments though.

I have worked for 30 years as a TV and now radio broadcast meteorologist, most in major markets like the Twin Cities and Chicago. I have had over a dozen different news managers in that time. Not once has any news manager suggested I inflate snowfall forecast numbers, or do anything to mislead viewers or listeners about an upcoming snowstorm or other weather event in my 30 year career.

There are too many weather terrorists in this business already over-hyping forecasts that extend beyond the limits of the current state of the science of meteorology. As professionally certified meteorologists we are the stewards of our profession's credibility. We need to help explain to the audience both the amazing capabilities, and the limits of the science of meteorology. Credibility is our biggest, and most valuable currency with viewers and listeners.

It's sad and ironic that during a the Blizzard of 2016, a major winter weather event that was a shining forecast success for the profession of meteorology, Chad would make such a comment that detracts from the broadcast news profession in general. I don't believe his comments represent the way the vast majority of newsrooms in America approach what we as meteorologists require, forecast independence.

The real problem: Lack of climate change reporting by meteorologists

There is a huge disconnect in what some TV newsrooms allow their meteorologists to say about climate change and evolving climate science. I have had direct conversations with TV meteorologists in the Twin Cities and other markets who have been told by news managers not to talk about or report on climate change science. I think you can guess which stations I'm talking about.

This is a major problem in our business that is under reported in my opinion. Any broadcast meteorologist who displays a professional seal from the American Meteorological Society should be reporting on the overwhelming body of credible peer-reviewed climate science in line with the AMS Statement on Climate Change. Here's the pertinent passage from the statement of our professional organization.

It is clear from extensive scientific evidence that the dominant cause of the rapid change in climate of the past half century is human-induced increases in the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons, methane, and nitrous oxide.

Ask your local TV meteorologist, and their news managers why they are not reporting on climate change science? Their credibility as news providers is in question if they refuse to let the most qualified science reporters on staff report this critical scientifically sound information.

With every new extreme weather event that has a climate change fingerprint, it's increasingly clear our future as a sustainable planet depends on this critical information and how we react to the changes unfolding. Last time I checked, reporting that kind of information is one of the main purposes of what we call "news."