Media’s coverage of weather, climate change

TORRENTIAL RAINS from July 23 to 25 due to combined forces of Southwest monsoon (habagat) and Super Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) caused flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of calamity in these areas. 

News media were on duty to report on the weather conditions, describing the convergence of the two weather phenomena and detailing the impact in terms of rainfall. Reporting round the clock, media updated weather conditions and flood levels, specifying locations in affected areas. Journalists reported live from all over the country, describing the situation on the ground and delivering timely updates. 

Media picked up the regular weather advisories and bulletins of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), emphasizing crucial information for citizens such as rainfall warnings and other hazard advisories. 

Philippine newsrooms have the drill pat. The country experiences an average of twenty typhoons a year and reporters provide information with precision and consistency, from the first spotting of tropical depressions that can become disastrous typhoons. The media include the changing character of extreme weather episodes and the impact of these conditions on the ground. 

First informers

CMFR has tracked media coverage with more focus since Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in 2013; noting the remarkable capacity of newsrooms to serve as “first informer” during times of disaster. 

Citing the Aspen Institute’s report “First Informers in the Disaster Zone: The Lessons of Katrina,” CMFR echoed the emphasis given for media to provide timely and accurate reporting in emergencies: “The media have roles to play before, during, and after a disaster. In many incidents, journalists are among the first to arrive on the scene and report on events as they unfold; they are first informers in the disaster zone. Media and communication technologies can greatly aid or hinder efforts to prepare citizens for threats; convey important, lifesaving information during a crisis; assist in rescues, reunions, and relocations; support relief efforts; and promote accountability after the fact.” 

While journalists have become accustomed to reporting on typhoons, they are also called to familiarize themselves with the new challenges presented by climate change. 

Unexplained downgrade 

CMFR notes with regret that GMA Integrated News introduced four weather presenters to be assigned as dedicated weather news anchors in each of the network’s newscasts. The “GMA Integrated News Weather Center” highlighted a corporate decision to upgrade the network’s regular weather segment, and was documented in several reports, including interviews. Felipe Gozon, the company’s Chairman and CEO described weather news as “integral,” to daily life and that GMA “continues to put premium on. . .” GMA also revealed that the four weather presenters received special training from state weather bureau Pagasa to prepare them for their new assignment. 

By July 2024, however, only one news program, the morning newscast “Unang Hirit” retained its weather presenter, Anjo Pertierra. In December 2023, six months after the announcement, Maureen Schrijvers said in a social media post that she would be signing off as the weather presenter of “24 Oras,” but did not explain why. The two other weather presenters, Amor Larrosa and Katrina Son, made no announcements as they exited from their duties; although Son continues to be a field reporter for GMA while Larrosa, a weather news producer prior to the appointment, still lists GMA as her present place of employment on social media.  

Currently, news anchors in GMA’s other newscasts (“Balitanghali,” “24 Oras,” “Saksi,” and “State of the Nation”) read the weather segments. In the recent case of Super Typhoon Carina and habagat, “24 Oras” anchors interviewed Pagasa forecasters on-air during the weather segment. 

Broadcast meteorology as public good

Weather news requires some personal connection that enhances the effect of news and information in times of crisis. 

A 2013 study in the United States of America described broadcast meteorology as a “public good,” given broadcast television’s role as the public’s main information source during a crisis. The study also noted the value of designated weather anchors: “Weathercasters are very visible members of a news team, and warnings, advice or reassurance during threatening weather can provide an enduring bond and create brand loyalty among viewers. Severe weather is life threatening, and weather coverage is a potential life saver.” 

In 2016, Oxford University researchers found that TV meteorologists are capable of being effective climate change educators on the local level: “They have tremendous reach, are trusted sources of climate information, and are highly skilled science communicators.” A 2022 Nieman Reports article argued that “using trusted messengers like TV weathercasters” is key in effective climate communication.  

Research in 2019 also revealed that newsrooms with “dedicated environmental and/or climate reporters and editors” were more likely to connect specific weather events such as heat waves and wildfires with climate change in their reports compared to newsrooms that did not invest in covering climate change. The author, Jill Hopke, added that this showed how upper management decisions on matters such as staffing and skills development affect the quality and content of news.

Recurring problem   

The problem of flooding even in the highly-urbanized and developed National Capital Region is not a new phenomenon. The flood-prone nature of Metro Manila is a historical and ecological fact, and our nation’s leaders being unable to address the social factors identified by experts year after year calls for urgent and sustained attention from government, the kind that follows through after floodwaters recede. 

For media’s role, all signs point to the growing necessity of improved coverage of disasters, weather phenomena, and climate change – all of which require special training. 

Unfortunately, GMA Integrated News did not follow up on its decision to strengthen its Weather Center. Climate change and related crises are an ongoing challenge. Media should be forging ahead, aiming for more breakthroughs in its role as first informer in times of disaster, rather than holding back from the challenge. 

The existential threat of climate change is global in scope. But its threat looms increasingly large over the Philippines, an archipelagic country located on the typhoon belt, among the most vulnerable to the intensity of weather events wrought by climate change. 

Unfortunately, government attention on weather issues tends to rise and fall in weather cycles. But disaster preparedness must be a constant commitment because it cannot be achieved overnight.

Again, media’s role is clear. Climate change awareness and preparedness require a national coordinated approach. If elected public officials fail, media’s mandate must persist in keeping this issue on the public agenda.