The record flood disaster of mid-September, which according to a recent study was significantly intensified by global warming, has also brought the media coverage surrounding it into sharp focus. Presenting the weather forecast in a more or less entertaining way — those days are gone. Journalists working in weather newsrooms need a great deal of expertise and, with the increasing frequency of extreme events, are bearing ever greater responsibility. On top of that, there are attacks from climate change sceptics and a fine line to tread when it comes to activism.

ORF weather anchor Marcus Wadsak found himself at the centre of media attention in the wake of the flood disaster that struck parts of Austria — because he was nowhere to be seen on screen. "Wadsak's absence from screens fuels speculation" ran the headline in Der Standard, which repeated online rumours that Wadsak had been sidelined under political pressure from the ÖVP, and that the ORF weather desk had been instructed to stop putting the consequences of climate change so prominently in the spotlight. In fact, Wadsak — who consistently addresses the climate crisis plainly, both on air and in talks — was simply on holiday at the time.

Recurring internal debates about the C-words

His section head, ORF weather chief Daniel Zeinlinger, responds to the conspiracy theories by saying: "That pressure simply doesn't exist. It doesn't come from within. It doesn't come from outside. The newsroom has one job, and that's to report on the weather." But is there an editorial policy — are staff at the ORF weather desk actually allowed to say "climate crisis" or even "climate catastrophe"?…

Read the full article at: oe1.orf.at