The torrid love affair local TV news has with reporting the weather is mere foreplay when weather actually becomes news. A cold snap like the current one probably does wonders for newscast ratings, as viewers check to see how low we can go.
But which forecast to choose? In order for a forecaster to claim American Meteorological Society broadcast certification, applicants must have a degree in weather science, take a written exam, and their work must be assessed.
It is a field requiring considerable and on-going study. WDJT chief forecaster Mark McGinnis has an atmospheric science degree from the University of North Carolina – Ashville; WTMJ-TV chief forecaster John Malan has a master’s degree in meteorology from Northern Illinois University; WISN-TV chief meteorologist Mark Baden has a BA in meteorology from Western Illinois University.
All of them are accredited by the AMS, and stations will often refer to this as evidence of their credibility and reliability. WITI-TV’s Vince Condella is also certified by the AMS.
But for some reason the station’s anchors now refer to him as “our weather expert” in the handoff.
A on-screen graphic still identifies him as “chief meteorologist”
This change in style doesn’t make weather maps more intelligible. So why the change?
Is meteorology a bad word? Do science and education offend the audience? Noticeably none of the local forecasters refer to the possibility of climate change in their remarks about weather extremes.
Although in a 2010 blog post now removed from the WITI site, Condella took former WTMJ meteorologist and now Republican state Rep. Jim Ott to task for mocking global warming.
Condella wrote Ott was “leaving science behind” to please his constituents.
I’m no expert, but compared to meteorologist, “expert” sounds neutral and unofficial.
And I’m sure the Snow Stick would agree.
I don’t know if the “weather expert” attribution applies to other WITI meteorologists like Stephanie Barichello, who joined the station around Halloween from KDLK-TV in South Dakota. She was married in October, according to her page, and a wedding photo graces .
She was born in Joliet, played competition volleyball, loves “thunderstorms and snow,” and attended Valparaiso University where she received a degree in …. meteorology.
Coming soon, to WTMJ-TV’s morning newscast is traffic reporter .
The Toledo native studied public relations, advertising, electronic media, gender and diversity, at Xavier University, where she was a sorority president. After graduation in 2012 she was a production assistant at WLWT in Cincinnati, and education reporter at KFYR in Bismarck, North Dakota.
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