As always, great writing and you hit the mail right on the head.
I’d like to comment on YouTube weather personalities, and their impact on this “cry wolf syndrome” use of hyperbole.
Most I see use it to horrible effect, and it’s glaringly obvious to anyone whose paid attention that their motivations are to drive clicks/views with doomsday scenarios.
But one YouTuber stands out over the rest, and I think you know who I’m talking about.
Ryan Hall, while doing his live streams, does a pretty great job given he doesn’t have a large infrastructure like a TV station does with towercams, etc.
Now, his video thumbnails are pretty click-bait-y. But I’m not convinced he does it with ill will. I think he’s doing what he can to insert himself into the algorithm that YouTube uses to drive videos to users.
You and I both know that’s terribly flawed when it comes to pushing good weather info to folks in a timely manner.
It’s great for folks like Mark Rober, or Destin from Smarter Every Day because they’re not on a time crunch like a weather person is.
I say all that to say Ryan might be the start of what the future looks like for a sustainable weather/information distribution model. He checks a lot of good weather boxes. He gives clear, concise info, demonstrates uncertainty, and understands the difference between probabilistic and deterministic forecasts. At least that’s how it comes off to me.
This is why I think the algorithm should be rebuilt to make context the main driver of searches.
People that want to see cat videos or watch Mark Rober build a cool gadget to annoy package thieves can do so under that context.
If someone wants to, say, watch you live, or Ryan, they can switch the context from a “just browsing” feel to a “I’m actually looking for pertinent information” context.
The app knows where you are and it can find out the information of what’s going on around you. Why couldn’t they push that in the event of severe weather?
I think if that happened, it might knock down a lot of this unnecessary fear mongering quite a bit, as well as create a pathway to the next generation. That’s my 2 cents anyway.
What great and thoughtful insight into this issue. I'm 26 but in no way, shape or form, do I rely on YouTubers, TikTokers (I don't even use TikTok, PERIOD) or other social media posts for my weather information, unless it directly came from NWS, a local TV/radio station or their meteorologists.
Its important to get information right in a friendly and honest way without scaring people away. Thanks for this!
My grandfather, a member of the greatest generation, once told me, "In life, find a parade and get in front of it." I reflect on this often and still find value in the phrase and associated values. Why mention this? You found your parade (Broadcast Journalism) but failed to jump away when the next parade passed you by. The only thing that made you relevant was access to information, your ability to present the information in a meaningful way, and your personality. Those times are long gone.
Broadcast News is dead. Stop being a petulant child and realize you had fun with your toys but that time has passed. Now it is time to pack them up and go home. The time to push broadcast journalistic integrity was 20 years ago when something could have been done. Now we are stuck with the anemic corpse on life support that occasionally yells out about how awesome it once was...
Oh and the "Fear Porn" garbage is just that. That too is another nugget of shame created by guess who? Broadcast journalism. Come on down from your high horse back down to reality. The air is just fine down here.
The key thing you fail to grasp is your advantage. You are known quantity in your market. You do not NEED the corporate stooges anymore. Dump the AOL account, get real internet, and start HELPING people in the local area where you know the meteorological phenomena.
Time to face facts, people like Ryan Hall found their parade and rode the winds of change to success. Do you have the courage to follow?
You are right on with everything you said. There is too much hype, even on stations who DO long-form storm coverage; they don't do it right. Sure, many stations like yours have all these zany graphics and fancy do-dad TV radars that have capabilities the NWS does not have. The stations make good use of these; and they are designed to help analyze thunderstorms top to bottom, and help with nowcasting and real-time analysis. However, they are used, or misused, by TV mets to keep you watching. Together with all the breathless hype, the fear, the zany radars and graphics, they do the storm coverage more to keep you watching and scare you, than to reasonably tell it like it is. YOU, on the other hand, also employ these graphics and radars, but you use those in a way such that you tell it like the radars and satellites see things; as well as the short-term modeling. You tell viewers as to who is in the clear, and if there is a life-threatening tornado, you focus only on that tornado and tell people where it's going but without all the scare tactics. If there are multiple high intensity tornadoes, you focus on the most dangerous ones in the TV market. You are the voice of reason in these situations. You save lives, and hopefully the lives of those who complain you interrupt programming. You have always done a great job. Keep up the good work!!
I work with one of these weather youtubers: Snyder, though i am closely familiar with Schlotthauer's and Hall's work as well. Part of doing this job is getting information to those who may not have reliable TV coverage like those on the road, or those relying on cuts in prepaid programming. Balancing the algorithm is quite hard, and I must say, mitigating and negating fear porn is something we as a team all keep in mind while doing this, while the more people reached is another life potentially to be saved. I tell you, it is a very active part of our work. We do pore over our work to see if we go to far in this way.
Many of us are storm chasers or weather enthusiasts with some college education, in fact many are active meteorology students themselves, and a few are degreed. I know as a team we tend to idolize guys like Spann, or Forbes, or Timmer, or God rest his soul, Samaras, because of the great works that they are doing. They are paving the way for those coming later, those who are here now, our generation. We know we do not have all the knowledge, but what we do know about weather we are certain of, and we hope to spread it, because it saves lives. We also know the more knowledge we obtain, the better we can forecast, and the more lives we can save. But we cannot wait long. Lives must not be sacrificed just because we lack a few courses in meteorology.
What we know, we spread because we have made it our mission to bring to the public a better understanding of weather that many, but not all on TV simply cannot, not because they lack the skill or expertise, but because they lack the freedom or resources. We are not bound by corporations, so it does give us more freedom. This freedom can allow us do try new things, things that can help us crack the common weather myths like "Hide under a bridge in a tornado" or "Tornadoes don't occur in mountains or in winter" and "20% chance of rain means no rain, and if it rains the weatherman lied". These abound in the world because of the public’s low understanding of the forces that drive our planet's atmosphere. It's a problem, and we know we must do our best to combat it.
Spann is right in everything here. Youtube is the next generation. We must figure out a way to do it right, or we may find we cannot relay weather at all, lest the public’s trust be so far destroyed. And that cannot happen. Thanks.
Late evening/early morning for me here in northeastern PA but yeah, you're definitely on the right track with the whole fear mongering with weather, especially when things are click bait and or there just to feed off of the fear and clicks that are produced by it because of how poor the meteorology infrastructure is and how good info distributors are few and far between in today's society, it's just a rinse and repeat of the past generations following what the next big thing is, i hope this makes sense to some degree as my eyes are heavier than concrete
It’s interesting to look in these comments and see how many people are specifically talking about Ryan Hall, as if James Spann targeted him specifically. Now before I start this, I do watch Ryan’s content, It’s informative and especially the livestreams contain essential and useful information that he as a degree holding meteorologist has the credentials to give. The content itself is not fear inducing but I think (especially considering the picture of thumbnails) James is referring to content that upon first glance would incite fear in a person. Ryan’s thumbnails are not excluded from this, they can be a little dramatic and clickbaity at times and a random person scrolling across youtube could get the wrong idea. How I interpreted this is that James is referring to these thumbnails or tiktoks that don’t include the full story and are there to entice people to watch their content when a lot of times it just spreads dramatized information because people don’t often take that extra step. We see it in thumbnails, tiktoks, i’ve even seen a local TV meteorologist exaggerate on social media to get people to look.
For weather information, and all information really, it’s our responsibility as consumers to check our sources and be able to see who’s actually making a meaningful difference or contributing to a conversation, and who’s just there for clicks and fear.
Ryan Hall is definitely an exception to this. His content is doing anything but generating fear. The Ryan Hall account is the single best most comprehensive live weather coverage that we have seen. Spann is the man, but let’s leave Ryan and his thumbnails (which he has to do due to YouTube algorithms) out of the fear category.
Personally with out Ryan hall yall countless lives would been loss during Mayfield KY, mine included. I disagree with you whole heartedly, you said you were king of fear porn , an how you evolved over the years . I watched you during massive dixie alley outbreaks , while growing up grew to respect you . Now 2022 , I feel your approaching new multimedia technology with 1950s mentality. First learn how youtube algorithm works , secondly why not attack goodmorning America, 2020 world news , oh that's right it be your career over . For us in rural areas many affiliate stations don't reach us , an wbbjtv 7 jackson refuses to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube stating liability. Instead tearing down the new generation help establish what you started an finish on a high note .
Good morning, James.
As always, great writing and you hit the mail right on the head.
I’d like to comment on YouTube weather personalities, and their impact on this “cry wolf syndrome” use of hyperbole.
Most I see use it to horrible effect, and it’s glaringly obvious to anyone whose paid attention that their motivations are to drive clicks/views with doomsday scenarios.
But one YouTuber stands out over the rest, and I think you know who I’m talking about.
Ryan Hall, while doing his live streams, does a pretty great job given he doesn’t have a large infrastructure like a TV station does with towercams, etc.
Now, his video thumbnails are pretty click-bait-y. But I’m not convinced he does it with ill will. I think he’s doing what he can to insert himself into the algorithm that YouTube uses to drive videos to users.
You and I both know that’s terribly flawed when it comes to pushing good weather info to folks in a timely manner.
It’s great for folks like Mark Rober, or Destin from Smarter Every Day because they’re not on a time crunch like a weather person is.
I say all that to say Ryan might be the start of what the future looks like for a sustainable weather/information distribution model. He checks a lot of good weather boxes. He gives clear, concise info, demonstrates uncertainty, and understands the difference between probabilistic and deterministic forecasts. At least that’s how it comes off to me.
This is why I think the algorithm should be rebuilt to make context the main driver of searches.
People that want to see cat videos or watch Mark Rober build a cool gadget to annoy package thieves can do so under that context.
If someone wants to, say, watch you live, or Ryan, they can switch the context from a “just browsing” feel to a “I’m actually looking for pertinent information” context.
The app knows where you are and it can find out the information of what’s going on around you. Why couldn’t they push that in the event of severe weather?
I think if that happened, it might knock down a lot of this unnecessary fear mongering quite a bit, as well as create a pathway to the next generation. That’s my 2 cents anyway.
Thanks again.
You nailed every word, James.
What great and thoughtful insight into this issue. I'm 26 but in no way, shape or form, do I rely on YouTubers, TikTokers (I don't even use TikTok, PERIOD) or other social media posts for my weather information, unless it directly came from NWS, a local TV/radio station or their meteorologists.
Its important to get information right in a friendly and honest way without scaring people away. Thanks for this!
James,
My grandfather, a member of the greatest generation, once told me, "In life, find a parade and get in front of it." I reflect on this often and still find value in the phrase and associated values. Why mention this? You found your parade (Broadcast Journalism) but failed to jump away when the next parade passed you by. The only thing that made you relevant was access to information, your ability to present the information in a meaningful way, and your personality. Those times are long gone.
Broadcast News is dead. Stop being a petulant child and realize you had fun with your toys but that time has passed. Now it is time to pack them up and go home. The time to push broadcast journalistic integrity was 20 years ago when something could have been done. Now we are stuck with the anemic corpse on life support that occasionally yells out about how awesome it once was...
Oh and the "Fear Porn" garbage is just that. That too is another nugget of shame created by guess who? Broadcast journalism. Come on down from your high horse back down to reality. The air is just fine down here.
The key thing you fail to grasp is your advantage. You are known quantity in your market. You do not NEED the corporate stooges anymore. Dump the AOL account, get real internet, and start HELPING people in the local area where you know the meteorological phenomena.
Time to face facts, people like Ryan Hall found their parade and rode the winds of change to success. Do you have the courage to follow?
You are right on with everything you said. There is too much hype, even on stations who DO long-form storm coverage; they don't do it right. Sure, many stations like yours have all these zany graphics and fancy do-dad TV radars that have capabilities the NWS does not have. The stations make good use of these; and they are designed to help analyze thunderstorms top to bottom, and help with nowcasting and real-time analysis. However, they are used, or misused, by TV mets to keep you watching. Together with all the breathless hype, the fear, the zany radars and graphics, they do the storm coverage more to keep you watching and scare you, than to reasonably tell it like it is. YOU, on the other hand, also employ these graphics and radars, but you use those in a way such that you tell it like the radars and satellites see things; as well as the short-term modeling. You tell viewers as to who is in the clear, and if there is a life-threatening tornado, you focus only on that tornado and tell people where it's going but without all the scare tactics. If there are multiple high intensity tornadoes, you focus on the most dangerous ones in the TV market. You are the voice of reason in these situations. You save lives, and hopefully the lives of those who complain you interrupt programming. You have always done a great job. Keep up the good work!!
I work with one of these weather youtubers: Snyder, though i am closely familiar with Schlotthauer's and Hall's work as well. Part of doing this job is getting information to those who may not have reliable TV coverage like those on the road, or those relying on cuts in prepaid programming. Balancing the algorithm is quite hard, and I must say, mitigating and negating fear porn is something we as a team all keep in mind while doing this, while the more people reached is another life potentially to be saved. I tell you, it is a very active part of our work. We do pore over our work to see if we go to far in this way.
Many of us are storm chasers or weather enthusiasts with some college education, in fact many are active meteorology students themselves, and a few are degreed. I know as a team we tend to idolize guys like Spann, or Forbes, or Timmer, or God rest his soul, Samaras, because of the great works that they are doing. They are paving the way for those coming later, those who are here now, our generation. We know we do not have all the knowledge, but what we do know about weather we are certain of, and we hope to spread it, because it saves lives. We also know the more knowledge we obtain, the better we can forecast, and the more lives we can save. But we cannot wait long. Lives must not be sacrificed just because we lack a few courses in meteorology.
What we know, we spread because we have made it our mission to bring to the public a better understanding of weather that many, but not all on TV simply cannot, not because they lack the skill or expertise, but because they lack the freedom or resources. We are not bound by corporations, so it does give us more freedom. This freedom can allow us do try new things, things that can help us crack the common weather myths like "Hide under a bridge in a tornado" or "Tornadoes don't occur in mountains or in winter" and "20% chance of rain means no rain, and if it rains the weatherman lied". These abound in the world because of the public’s low understanding of the forces that drive our planet's atmosphere. It's a problem, and we know we must do our best to combat it.
Spann is right in everything here. Youtube is the next generation. We must figure out a way to do it right, or we may find we cannot relay weather at all, lest the public’s trust be so far destroyed. And that cannot happen. Thanks.
Late evening/early morning for me here in northeastern PA but yeah, you're definitely on the right track with the whole fear mongering with weather, especially when things are click bait and or there just to feed off of the fear and clicks that are produced by it because of how poor the meteorology infrastructure is and how good info distributors are few and far between in today's society, it's just a rinse and repeat of the past generations following what the next big thing is, i hope this makes sense to some degree as my eyes are heavier than concrete
go look at david schlotthauer post
good thing is not me
what is getting worse
ok
ok
ok
Hello all,
It’s interesting to look in these comments and see how many people are specifically talking about Ryan Hall, as if James Spann targeted him specifically. Now before I start this, I do watch Ryan’s content, It’s informative and especially the livestreams contain essential and useful information that he as a degree holding meteorologist has the credentials to give. The content itself is not fear inducing but I think (especially considering the picture of thumbnails) James is referring to content that upon first glance would incite fear in a person. Ryan’s thumbnails are not excluded from this, they can be a little dramatic and clickbaity at times and a random person scrolling across youtube could get the wrong idea. How I interpreted this is that James is referring to these thumbnails or tiktoks that don’t include the full story and are there to entice people to watch their content when a lot of times it just spreads dramatized information because people don’t often take that extra step. We see it in thumbnails, tiktoks, i’ve even seen a local TV meteorologist exaggerate on social media to get people to look.
For weather information, and all information really, it’s our responsibility as consumers to check our sources and be able to see who’s actually making a meaningful difference or contributing to a conversation, and who’s just there for clicks and fear.
Ryan Hall is definitely an exception to this. His content is doing anything but generating fear. The Ryan Hall account is the single best most comprehensive live weather coverage that we have seen. Spann is the man, but let’s leave Ryan and his thumbnails (which he has to do due to YouTube algorithms) out of the fear category.
You can not be more wrong because said in one of the people's video don't be scared be prepared
Personally with out Ryan hall yall countless lives would been loss during Mayfield KY, mine included. I disagree with you whole heartedly, you said you were king of fear porn , an how you evolved over the years . I watched you during massive dixie alley outbreaks , while growing up grew to respect you . Now 2022 , I feel your approaching new multimedia technology with 1950s mentality. First learn how youtube algorithm works , secondly why not attack goodmorning America, 2020 world news , oh that's right it be your career over . For us in rural areas many affiliate stations don't reach us , an wbbjtv 7 jackson refuses to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube stating liability. Instead tearing down the new generation help establish what you started an finish on a high note .