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.

Minimum number of participants:

5, to be reached by 30 June 2024