Mesonets and the Media

1. Mesonets and the Media Derek Arndt Assistant Vorticity Manager Oklahoma Climatological Survey June 25, 2002

2. Why give this talk? • Simply to emphasize that a positive relationship with “The Media” can be built and maintained • The positive relationship helps you get your message out • The message might be important information related to an environmental/weather event • The message might be important information about you and your project! • To share some of the ideas that have and haven’t worked in my short time in this area.

3. Background • Meteorologists and climatologists are like traffic engineers, stockbrokers, and baseball managers

4. Background • Meteorologists and climatologists are like traffic engineers, stockbrokers, and baseball managers • Much of the public is convinced they know your craft as well as you do!

5. The Silver Lining • There is a lot of interest in what you do! • Weather and climate have a direct, recognizable impact on people’s lives

6. Two Considerations • Media as data clients • Looking for consistent, concise information • Media as message-deliverers • Looking for credible information providers • This is a “chicken and egg” scenario!

7. Data They Like (their version) • Lists • Tables • Brevity

8. Data They Like (our version) • Lists • Lists are conveniently reproduced without investing a great deal of effort in “wrapper text” • A great way to introduce relevance • Tables • See “lists” • Brevity

9. Products that “clicked” This is particularly popular with the broadcast media. Several Oklahoma stations use this list nightly (adding their own unique stamp).

10. Products that “clicked” A daily product whose reliability and simplicity make it a favored target of the print media. Can “dress up” a standard weather story.

11. Products that “clicked”

12. The OCS / Mesonet Ticker • Originally: an internal “feel good” e-letter • Research accomplishments, cool data, milestones, etc. • I copied a few friends at TV stations and papers • Now in its 5th year as a “daily” with over 100 recipients in research and media community • http://ticker.ocs.ou.edu/

13. The OCS / Mesonet Ticker • Web and e-mail distribution • Content and “education level” is varied • Climate info, cool wx observations, safety tips, info relevant to current events, old-fashioned PR • Tone is casual • (they get formal releases all the time)

14. The OCS/Mesonet Ticker

15. What You Might Avoid • Elaborate graphics • Big operations already have excellent graphics departments • Smaller operations can’t or won’t run them • Long-winded “academese” • Resist the urge to unnecessarily hedge, caveat, disclaim, and conditionalize

16. What You Might Avoid … one example …

17. What You Might Avoid “Before it had a chance to percolate in the ground, it just hung around in the air,” said Derek Arndt, climatologist for the climatological survey. “It was kind of like a heat lamp on a wet surface.” "Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” – Mark Twain

18. Other Considerations • Know your network • What does your network do better than any other source? • Know your resources • Does your office have an obligation to inform the public? • Does a potential partner’s office have a similar obligation?

19. Other Considerations • Be consistent • A great product, delivered once, pales in comparison to a great product delivered daily or weekly • Consistency adds to credibility

20. Thank you • Happy vorticity management!