Delivering the latest weather news to local populations
Due to its ever-changing nature, the weather ranks high as a critical information source. Here is how newspapers in New York, the UK and New Zealand break news to local inhabitants in real time.
How’s the weather?
The weather is one of those topics everyone talks about. Whe[a]ther as a conversation starter, on the radio or TV news channel – everyone wants to know the weather forecast for the next few days – and most importantly, for the coming weekend!
But aside from planning purposes, extreme weather conditions drive particular interest from local or national readers and, on some occasions, the entire world. When we encounter situations like heatwaves in the UK, snowstorms in NY, droughts and wildfires in Australia and Portugal, hurricanes, typhoons or flooding in various parts across the globe, the world holds its breath. Local inhabitants are undoubtedly the most concerned about those conditions, yet many people have friends or relatives that might live in those areas and are equally anxious to get any updates, relying on the latest news and local reporters.
As we enter the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, droughts, in particular, are of primary national concern as they affect crop growth, water shortages, and increased risk of wildfires.
While numerous sources like meteorological sites and apps or newspapers cover minute or hourly updates, the question may arise if the topic of the weather deserves its own live blog channel amongst media outlets. Here are some great weather live blog examples worth highlighting:
Last year, when severe weather conditions hit part of the UK, Sky News created a dedicated live blog channel to keep readers informed about latest updates and to report on various wildfire occurrences across the country. The live blog covers several days with frequent post updates within an hour, providing readers with in-depth information.
NZ Herald’s Flooding Live Updates
The NZ Herald created a live blog channel to report on the latest weather updates and break news fast and efficiently. As heavy rain continue to flood the region, a state of emergency has been declared and minute-by-minute coverage allows the population to keep up to date with the latest developments.
A noteworthy approach to weather reporting is the one taken by News 12, New York, where anyone may apply to become a “News 12 Storm Watcher”. Once selected, these private individuals contribute to News 12’s weather blog by posting photos and updates to their own social media accounts, simply hashtagging the news platform and embedding the social posts on News 12’s live blog. This is a remarkable combination of empowering users, taking the workload of journalists while informing local readers about the latest weather updates.
Why live blogs are an ideal tool to cover the weather
Due to its ever-changing nature and occasionally rapid or unexpected turns, the weather is one of those topics which people constantly seek information about.
Live covering the weather through live blogs or live publications is an ideal way to communicate information in real-time to readers, requiring low journalistic efforts.
Here are the reasons why live blogs are an ideal approach for weather coverage:
- Help people stay updated with the latest developments: This is particularly important in situations such as severe weather events or natural disasters where timely updates can be a matter of life and death.
- Weather affects a range of activities: Weather can impact transportation, outdoor activities, sports events, and more. Live blogging about the weather can provide valuable information and insights for people planning their day or deciding about upcoming events.
- Live coverage to drive traffic to media websites: Weather is a popular topic many people search for online. By live publishing about the weather, media outlets can attract more traffic to their website and increase engagement with their readers.
Do you have a live publishing platform in place to break news on upcoming storms and heat waves?
