Post-Gabrielle Media "Analysis"

[Frank2]

Just a quick note regarding the unnecessary week-long media build-up of Tropical Storm Gabrielle...

Those who are responsible for media content, really need to take a step back to review what should not have happened last week. TWC, AW, and, a number of local or network OCM's, created a great deal of public anxiety - and hurt their own credibility - by making too much of a system that was apparently weakening throughout the week, relying, instead, on computer model forecasts that insisted the system would develop - even though all in meteorology understand that intensity forecasting (whether predicting a strengthening or weakening system) is still often very unreliable...

Some wonder about the NHC's consistent good forecasting skills, which were proven once again with Gabrielle - well, perhaps the reason they do have a good track record, is due to the fact that they are not relying on ratings (a/k/a advertising revenue), and, therefore, only forecast - for the sake of issuing a forecast - unlike private weather outlets (whether through media or other organizations), that find the need to exaggerate an obviously weakening system, in order to attract viewers - and revenue...

The media needs to rethink their "car salesman" way of reporting, if they want to remain a viable part of society...

[Frank2]

Perhaps I'm on the right track - after posting the above, I found this very interesting article on TWC's web site:

http://www.weather.com/blog/weather/8_1 ... og/weather

[dtrain44]

I do generally agree. As I always tell people, if everyone were as good at their jobs as government meteorologists are at theirs, we'd have one heck of a society.

[Stormcenter]

Gabby was overhyped all across the board including this board.
You know who you are.

[jasons2k]

Frank, would you really lump TWC with the others? I didn't see the coverage last week before Gabrielle, but the few snippets I caught during landfall seemed very 'just another day at the beach here, now back to you'. In contrast, I did see a lot of hype generated by other outlets.

[Frank2]

Overall, that is true, but, TWC's three late afternoon and prime-time programs feature three gals that seem to enjoy saying too much, much too LOUDLY - ironically, the only thing tightly-wound about this last storm were the these individuals...

After the TWC Hurricane Dean fiasco (per the "Please...Let's stay calm..." thread on the "Active" board), and now this system, I've decided that I'll stick to TVLand during the 6-10 time period...

Late last evening was a good example of what it should be like (or used to be like) - Cheryl Lemkie, one of the long-time OCM's at TWC, provided her usual very dependable - and stable - reading of the current weather...

Sadly, she is now seen only at late-night, on the weekends only - while her hyper counterparts go on and on during the early evening hours - perhaps the schedule should be reversed...

LOL