There is no denying that a blizzard is news. But is the weather really news – on the same scale – if the storm is just a few inches of snow, or heavy rain, or higher than normal temperatures?
Chris Powell of the Journal Inquirer is concerned the obsession local television news has with coverage of the weather may be contributing to all sorts of social ills that begin with an uninformed electorate. He suggests that if you rely only on local television to get your news, you know a lot about the weather, but may not know much at all about what is really important in your community. If half of a half hour newscast is devoted to the weather, it’s hard to argue his point.