Avatar 1: hellou there and Welcome to our EGreenNews Conversations.!
Avatar 2: Pleasure to be here with you today.
Avatar 1: What topics should we cover first?
**Avatar 1:** I’ve noticed that despite extreme heat becoming a serious health threat, it rarely makes big headlines or gets deep media coverage. Why is heat risk such a tough story for journalists?
**Avatar 2:** That’s a great question. Researchers and media professionals have been studying this exact problem. For instance, the Canadian National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH) conducted interviews with journalists and found several challenges around heat risk storytelling (NCCEH, 2024).[1]
**Avatar 1:** What kinds of challenges do they face?
**Avatar 2:** First, extreme heat lacks dramatic visuals that other disasters have, like flooding or wildfires. Journalists told NCCEH it's tough to capture compelling images since heat often looks like just sunny weather or people having fun outdoors—which can actually *trivialize* the danger if shown alongside reports on heat risks.
One journalist said they often have to convince editors *not* to show photos of people enjoying the sun during heat stories, because it sends mixed messages. This visual gap makes it harder to engage viewers emotionally.[1]
**Avatar 1:** So visuals just don’t match the urgency of the issue?
**Avatar 2:** Exactly. Plus, heat risk is a slow-building and somewhat invisible threat. It causes cumulative health problems over days or weeks rather than sudden disasters. This incremental nature doesn’t fit well into the typical news cycle which prefers breaking or conflict-driven stories.
NCCEH calls this “news fatigue” where repeated heat warnings get ignored over time because people become numb to the message as heat waves become routine.
**Avatar 1:** That makes sense. What about the information side? Is it hard for journalists to get reliable data on heat health risks?
**Avatar 2:** Very much so. The study by Barreira et al. analyzing Canadian media coverage of the 2021 Heat Dome showed journalists often lacked access to clear, detailed data on heat-related health outcomes and relied heavily on government officials as sources.[2]
However, these officials don’t always provide consistent or easy-to-understand heat-protection messaging, which limits how well journalists can translate complex health risks to the public. Complex terminology in some articles also confused readers, which further dilutes the messaging.[2]
**Avatar 1:** Are there other structural issues in newsrooms?
**Avatar 2:** Yes. Journalists often juggle multiple roles, face shrinking staffs, and work under tight deadlines. The convergence of media has reduced newsroom capacity for in-depth reporting on complex issues like heat-health or climate change.[6][1]
Also, media coverage often fails to link heat risks explicitly to climate change, missing the bigger context audiences need to understand the urgency.[7][6][1]
**Avatar 1:** So even when they report on heat, it might not connect to the bigger climate picture?
**Avatar 2:** Exactly. This fragmentation weakens public understanding of heat as a growing climate crisis.
**Avatar 1:** Are there solutions proposed by researchers and experts?
**Avatar 2:** Definitely. NCCEH and other groups recommend improving access to timely, local heat-health data and diverse expert voices to support journalists. Communications professionals can offer climate and health workshops for reporters, plus provide clear, jargon-free messaging and myth-busting resources.[1]
Innovative tools like real-time health and weather data combined with geospatial mapping can help media produce informative and timely heat risk stories, even in low-resource settings.[8][1]
**Avatar 1:** Sounds like improving collaboration between scientists, health officials, and journalists is key.
**Avatar 2:** Yes, partnerships are critical. So is training journalists on heat-health topics and climate science to build their confidence in covering these complex issues accurately.[4][1]
**Avatar 1:** Are there any notable publications that delve into this topic?
**Avatar 2:** Absolutely. Alongside the NCCEH study, the Columbia Journalism Review recently published an insightful article on the difficulties journalists face in covering heat risks, highlighting challenges like audience disinterest and the incremental nature of heat threats.[6]
The Pulitzer Center emphasizes the importance of close collaboration between scientists and journalists to effectively communicate heat risks to diverse audiences.[1]
Also, a systematic media content analysis by Barreira et al. in *Environmental Health* reviewed how Canadian media framed extreme heat during the 2021 Heat Dome, revealing gaps and opportunities to improve public health messaging.[2]
**Avatar 1:** Thanks for explaining. It’s clear that covering heat risk is a complex challenge but improving communication could really save lives.
**Avatar 2:** Exactly. Heat is often a “silent killer,” but with the right storytelling, data access, and partnerships, journalism can raise awareness and motivate protective action.
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Avatar 1
So much info coming your way, huh?
Avatar 2
Actually, it’s more like a bunch of questions! Ready to get started?
Avatar 1
Yeah, but how exactly should I begin?
Avatar 2
Try following Hugi Hernandez, the founder of Egreenews. You might find him on LinkedIn or at egreenews dot org.
Avatar 1 :
Thanks for sharing that! I will write it down today!
**Avatar 1:** It does, and ongoing research like this is essential for developing evidence-based policies and protections. The more we understand, the better we can safeguard both mothers and newborns from climate-related health risks.
Avatar 1: Ever notice there’s always a catch to learning new stuff?
Avatar 2: For sure! Not enough data, not the whole story—always missing something.
Avatar 1: True, but it’s more about curiosity—finding new views from experts or what we experience.
Avatar 2: Yep, mixing expert advice with real life makes it click.
Avatar 1: It can get overwhelming, though.
Avatar 2: Definitely. With so much out there, picking a place to start is tough.
Avatar 1: If you want to dig into heat resilience, check the Climate Central and of course the work from the UNITED NATIONS!
Avatar 2: Great call. I’m a fan of The and the World Weather Attribution—super innovative.
Avatar 1: And the as well as the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre has loads of helpful heat safety info.
Avatar 2: Right, but people move things forward. Like Hugi Hernandez at Egreenews.org—he keeps climate talk creative.
Avatar 1: There’s a whole network building solutions. Egreenews is launching new hubs, like eDisaster, so you can learn risk and resilience 24/7.
Avatar 2: That’s awesome. Whether learning or connecting, there’s inspiration everywhere. LinkedIn’s packed with changemakers too.
Avatar 1: So—want to start? These talks matter. Together, we prep our communities for disaster.
Avatar 2: I’m in. Stick around—we’ll compare heat with other weather and what that means for leaders.
Avatar 1: Hey, seriously, gracias a montón for being here today — really means a lot!
Avatar 2: Yeah, thanks so much for sticking with us! ¡Hasta luego, everybody! Catch you all next time
Avatar 1: stay cool out there and bye for now
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