Creating Guidelines for Effective Weather Communication: A Qualitative Analysis of Message Strategies Through the Lens of Meteorologists

Abstract

From agriculture to economics, aviation to daily commutes, the role of meteorologists can be felt within the life of every individual. Therefore, it is important that meteorologists communicate forecast information effectively and in a way lay audiences can understand. This thesis explores the literature on weather, science, and risk communication, presenting four main goals of effective communication: message understandability, memorability, sharability, and actionability. The barriers and solutions to these objectives were analyzed through the context of meteorology, with strategies presented and qualitatively analyzed through semi-structured interviews with meteorologists who use social media. In result, this thesis produced and revised a checklist product and informational booklet to be used by meteorologists to better meet their communication goals on social media.