Risk and Health Communication in an Evolving Media Environment

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BEST PRACTICES OF “INNOVATOR” TV METEOROLOGISTS WHO ACT AS CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATORS

Katherine E. Rowan, John Kotcher, Jenell Walsh-Thomas, Paula K. Baldwin, Janey Trowbridge, Jagadish T. Thaker, H. Joe Witte, Barry A. Klinger, Ligia Cohen, Candice Tresch, and Edward W. Maibach

THIS RESEARCH WAS SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (AWARDS DRL-0917566 AND DRL-1422431).

Introduction

The Challenge of Educating About Slow Onset Hazards

Social scientists studying natural disasters distinguish slow onset events such as drought, desertification, coastal erosion, and climate change from suddenly occurring harms such as hurricanes, wildfires, and landslides (e.g., Alexander, 1999; Gaile & Willmott, 2003). In health and risk communication, ...