Course: Towards better written and oral weather communication

There is often too much to tell for not enough attention and time. Therefore, one of the key functions of journalism is to condense the available information to the most important messages that can be transported to and received by the readers, listeners and viewers. 

As meteorologists or other professionals from the meteorology and climate sector we need to communicate most precisely and most concisely, sometimes also nicely and entertaining, in any case understandable and in a usable way. This course will teach concepts for texting and oral presentation of weather reports, but also for approaches to good answers during media interviews.

The course will offer conceptual models and repeated opportunities for practical training in small groups.

Content: 

• Language-independent rules for the preparation and presentation of weather reports
• How to best text a weather forecast for written publication and for oral presentation
• How to best use a given length or format
• How much facts and numbers, and how much storytelling is needed
• How to deal with expectations
• Dos and don’ts in serious communication of weather and climate news
• Successful communication of severe weather warnings: formats, texting and presentation style
• Concepts for the optimum mindset and answering technique during media interviews

Target groups: 

Media weather presenters, forecasters at national weather services, professionals and scientists with media contacts in the fields of meteorology and climate

Trainer: 

Alois M. Holzer, ESSL Director of Operations

Holzer was a forecaster at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) radio and online branch for 25 years until 2022. He worked many years as a lead forecaster and lastly over 3 years as head of the forecasting department. Holzer from 2012 to 2016 was member of the European Meteorological Society media awards

select committee and from 2014 to 2016 founder and chair of the EMS media awards select committee for the “Award for Achievement in Journalism”. He co- chaired media meteorology sessions at several conferences and worked as a trainer at ORF in training on-the-job activities. He co-authored scientific papers on the user-friendliness and legibility of TV and radio weather reports in a joint effort with psychologists from the University of Salzburg. He conceptualized the very successful severe weather warning concept of the Austrian mainstream radio station Ö3.