Media and the forecast

[franksingleton]

Most people are aware that media headlines on any topic are unreliable. Even a full article, apparently researched can have journalistic errors. At ‘Rain bomb’ or ‘heatwave’ on the way? Weather headline review the Met office shows some glaring examples of jounos making a mess of the weather. I suppose that if you see a forecast that looks OTT, it is worth checking what the professionals are saying. Of course, no forecast is ever likely to be wholly correct. To minimise the chance of being misled by media headlines on any topic, it is always worthwhile going to source.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Apparently the thing to do these days is to ask that blue ring in Whatsapp what the weather will be, off Portland Bill on Saturday.

 

[wonkywinch]

News channels, like most other e-commerce, relies on clicks. For that reason, most things are designed to get our attention and truth has fallen by the wayside.

I recommend reading "Loserthink" by Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame).

Used to be a "BBC News at 6pm", read the Telegraph for unbiased reporting etc. Don't even have a TV licence or watch anything on the normal channels (except The Chase on catch up).

If someone mentions something in "the news", I take a look at https://ground.news/ to get info on the story.

 

[Juan Twothree]

Used to be a "BBC News at 6pm", read the Telegraph for unbiased reporting etc.

I still live in hope that one day the Telegraph will once again be a serious newspaper.

Unfortunately, since it's been trying to attract a new owner, it has become something of a joke.

 

[franksingleton]

Those of us with long memories will recall the DT reporting of the Profumo affair. They wallowed in all the most salacious detail under a cloak of respectability.

They have lied about a subject dear to my heart. In particular they repeated lies about John Houghton because those lies were the opening words in a book written by one of their contributors.

 

[Poignard]

https://www.iop.org/physics-community/obituaries/john-houghton

 

[Stemar]

Once upon a time, the Wail was a decent newspaper. My parents used to get the News Chronicle and continued with the DM when they took it over. No way would my Dad allow its current iteration in the house. I might, but only for lighting fires or cleaning windows.

 

[Davy_S]

You can bet your life that the BBC will tell you that the uk is hotter than Ibiza, Athens and Barcelona on a particular day, with out fail every year

 

[johnalison]

I would be sad without the daily weather alarms that come up when I open Edge, that give me so much entertainment. I really don't know how we managed to survive all those blizzards and snow storms that were going to bring the UK to a halt so many times in the last few months. Now it will be the thousands that are going to die in heat waves.

 

[Juan Twothree]

You can bet your life that the BBC will tell you that the uk is hotter than Ibiza, Athens and Barcelona on a particular day, with out fail every year

Very rarely actually.
That's more the style of the tabloids with their clickbait headlines.

 

[capnsensible]

You can bet your life that the BBC will tell you that the uk is hotter than Ibiza, Athens and Barcelona on a particular day, with out fail every year

Happens regularly...but not the beeb.

 

[Davy_S]

Very rarely actually.
That's more the style of the tabloids with their clickbait headlines.

UK set to be hotter than Ibiza

 

[franksingleton]

Once upon a time, the Wail was a decent newspaper. My parents used to get the News Chronicle and continued with the DM when they took it over. No way would my Dad allow its current iteration in the house. I might, but only for lighting fires or cleaning windows.

Neither the Mail nor the Telegraph has a good record. Both were pro appeasement pre WW2. Both supported Eden over Suez. Both were wrong.

 

[Poignard]

Neither the Mail nor the Telegraph has a good record. Both were pro appeasement pre WW2. Both supported Eden over Suez. Both were wrong.

Be fair, Frank, the Daily Mail didn't always get it wrong!

 

[Juan Twothree]

And this wasn't really its finest hour

 

[franksingleton]

The chair of the Daily Mail Trust is Viscount Rothermere. Plus ca change …..

 

[seeSimon]

Blimey...bit of thread drift here!

There does appear to be much more lazy journalism about nowadays, perhaps it's something to do with the pace of 24 hour, always on, "news"?

Personally, when I read most coverage about a topic about which I consider myself to be already well informed (expert even?), it's very obvious how much total b0ll0x is broadcast/published.
Therefore, exprapolate this idea and apply a very large pinch of salt to whatever you read?

I'm NOT a weather expert.
It shocks me how many weather presenters are exactly that...presenters, not met specialists even.
And how many forecasts appear to be computer generated without any sort of human "context check"? Perhaps copies of copies of copies of an original "expert" forecast?

 

[franksingleton]

Blimey...bit of thread drift here!

There does appear to be much more lazy journalism about nowadays, perhaps it's something to do with the pace of 24 hour, always on, "news"?

Personally, when I read most coverage about a topic about which I consider myself to be already well informed (expert even?), it's very obvious how much total b0ll0x is broadcast/published.
Therefore, exprapolate this idea and apply a very large pinch of salt to whatever you read?

Agree. When you are near to or are the news, I have been both, you realise how poor reporting can be. I like the weekly Today Podcast when they look at some particular aspect in detail with help from guests. Intellectually one of the best bits of broadcasting.

I'm NOT a weather expert.
It shocks me how many weather presenters are exactly that...presenters, not met specialists even.
And how many forecasts appear to be computer generated without any sort of human "context check"? Perhaps copies of copies of copies of an original "expert" forecast?

Weather presenters on BBC were Met Office trained forecasters. Not at a high level but the kind that used to brief aircrew when RAF flying stations had their own meteorologists. Some of those on BBC are ex- Met Office or ex RN forecasters. Some of the others may have attended a Met Office forecaster course. This is (at least, was in my time) run at around pass degree level. The senior or chief forecasters at Exeter have (at least, used to) attended a Met Office training course at MSc level.

 

[LittleSister]

Speaking of weather, I see a cloud on the horizon for this thread!

 

[capnsensible]