Pew Research: Weather is (still) number one local news topic

The old mantra still holds true: if you want to win in the ratings, you must win in weather. 90% of U.S. adults surveyed by Pew Research say they follow local news to get updates on the weather. 90%!

No other category comes close to that. Information about crime was the second most important topic, followed by traffic, politics, arts and culture, the economy, and education. Sports ranked last.

Broadcast meteorologists should also feel good about another part of the research. In terms of the quality of the content, 63% of U.S. adults surveyed said they were extremely or very satisfied with the coverage. The satisfaction in weather coverage ranks highest, above every other news category.

Pew conducted the research in January 2024 as part of the Pew-Knight Initiative, a project funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. This wide-ranging nationwide survey questioned 5,000 adults.

Compared with the last time Pew conducted this research in 2018, weather is still the reason most people watch local news. However, how people prefer to access the latest weather information has changed significantly.

“The local news landscape in America is going through profound changes as both news consumers and producers continue to adapt to a more digital news environment,” write the researchers.

Almost half of the people surveyed said they prefer getting local news and information from digital sources, an increase of 11 points. Television was the preferred news source six years ago, but now only 32% of people prefer watching local newscasts.

Television stations today are multimedia news production facilities, creating content for several broadcast and digital outlets, including websites, mobile apps, streaming apps, and various social media platforms.

“Among Americans who say they get news from local TV stations, a majority (62%) still say they primarily access it on a television, but 38% say they mainly access that information online.”

Reflecting the shift to digital platforms, many television news reporters are now internally called MultiMedia Journalists, or MMJs. It might be time to reconsider the label Broadcast Meteorologist.

Multimedia Meteorologist seems more accurate. This updated title would also serve as a reminder to local television station weather teams that keeping the website and mobile app updated with timely and relevant weather content is as important as producing a three-minute weathercast for the next newscast—maybe more important—since consumers can access that information anytime, anywhere.

Just as weather is the reason most people watch local news, it seems to also be the reason consumers access a station’s website, mobile app, streaming app, and social media accounts.

Tim Heller is an AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and Weather Communications Coach. He helps local TV stations and broadcast meteorologists level up their on-air performance and off-air productivity.