National TV news largely failed to connect Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, to climate change. From July 1-8, corporate broadcast and cable news networks aired a combined 701 minutes across 343 segments about Hurricane Beryl, with only 15 segments (4%) mentioning climate change. Cable news networks — CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC — aired a combined 520 minutes across 234 segments about Hurricane Beryl, with 9 mentioning climate change. Corporate broadcast TV networks — ABC, CBS, and NBC — aired a combined 181 minutes across 109 segments about Hurricane Beryl, with 6 mentioning climate change. 32 segments mentioned rapid intensification, a climate signal.

HEATED analyzed 133 breaking news stories about recent climate-fueled weather in the United States. The results were dismal—but there were some bright spots. Only 44 percent of digital breaking news articles mentioned the climate crisis or global warming. Stories about heat waves fared slightly better, with 52 percent mentioning climate change. Only 25 percent of stories about extreme rainfall mentioned climate change. Even fewer stories about this month’s climate-fueled extreme weather explained to readers why the climate crisis is happening in the first place. Of 133 articles about unprecedented heat and flash floods, only 15 articles—or 11 percent—mentioned fossil fuels, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Only one article, from the BBC, mentioned deforestation. No articles mentioned animal agriculture. Yet despite the dismal numbers overall, some news outlets stood out for consistently mentioning climate change in all their breaking heat and rainfall articles this month. Those outlets were numerous, but included NPR, Vox, Axios, the BBC, and Agence France-Presse (AFP).

In July 2023, as the world experienced its hottest day, week, month, and year in recorded history, UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared that “the era of global warming has ended” and “the era of global boiling has arrived.”1 The world is not acting quickly enough to respond to the pace of climate change. As NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus observed, “we are losing Earth on our watch.” We are living through a crisis that touches every aspect of our lives, and therefore has a place in every contemporary story. Today, films set in the present or near future that do not include climate change can be considered what they are: fantasy. But there are too few studies examining whether popular films reflect our climate reality. This gap in knowledge prevents us from understanding climate visibility and represen- tation in popular entertainment, as well as the related challenges and opportunities. The Climate Reality Check, a Bechdel–Wallace Test for a World on Fire, pro- vides audience members, screenwriters, filmmakers, studios, and researchers with a straightforward way to evaluate whether climate change is represented—or omitted—in any narrative.3 This two-part, binary evaluation tool is simple, illuminat- ing, and powerful.

How are you measuring your organization’s efforts and advances towards meaningful long-term change? Would you like to begin the process of identifying a unique set of metrics that best suit your organizational goals and power-building strategies?

Use media behavior to learn how to reach and move people toward a narrative for all major household appliances and vehicles that is pro-electric. “Lifestyle conservatives” look like a key audience: Better understanding the factors underlying their consideration of and conversion to electrics seems important; this may point to supply-side work that needs doing. Excellent message research on EV’s exists: focus on the policy infrastructure for mainstreaming EVs means it may be of limited utility in understanding consumer choices for lifestyle conservatives, given how lukewarm they can be on government policy for just about anything; also any emphasis on climate is not likely to help here. Most important is to start making content: think about putting content out into the world and testing it with audiences in quick iterative loops that connect back to and constantly update strategic assumptions.

A roundup of science-based reporting resources can help bring climate change context into a range of stories. Most adults in the U.S. (72%) are convinced that global warming is happening, yet only 58% understand that human activities are the main cause. Local news is uniquely positioned to fill these knowledge gaps and inform the public on the causes and consequences of climate change — especially during extreme weather events. A new report from Nielsen and Climate Central analyzed four recent extreme weather events in the U.S.

There is power in local media to reach audiences and drive awareness on climate change during extreme weather events. Nielsen collaborated with Climate Central, a policy-neutral non-profit climate science organization, to assess the presence of accurate and informative climate reporting in local media to engage communities affected by extreme weather events. According to the American Meteorological Society, local weather broadcasting is extremely effective in raising awareness about climate change. Climate Central collaborated with Nielsen to analyze local TV newscasts for climate change content and measure the audience reach associated with those broadcasts. Despite increasing public concern about the link between climate change and extreme weather, only 28% of people in the U.S. say they hear about global warming in the media at least once a week. This suggests that media, including local media, frequently misses opportunities to increase public understanding and awareness of extreme weather and climate change.

Effects of the climate crisis and various political responses have captured attention on social media and online news media recently. Several Instagram posts about the global record-breaking heat this month went viral – and they exemplify a key issue that the climate world is facing: how do we talk about the climate crisis without making people feel too doomed or helpless in the face of it? Seventh Generation, an eco-friendly paper, cleaning, and personal care product corporation, is running ads in favor of the Green New Deal. Presidential candidate and conspiracy theorist RFK Jr. is a staunch believer in climate change… but he also thinks it’s being used to impose totalitarian control, according to social media posts. The FTC is reviewing its “Green Guides” for the first time in nearly a decade.

The divide between Democrats and Republicans on which news sources are trustworthy remains stark. Americans are 53 points more likely to call The Weather Channel trustworthy as they are to call it untrustworthy. It's also the only outlet that YouGov asked about that more Democrats (+64) and Republicans (+47) trust than the shares who distrust it. The Weather Channel is just one of two outlets polled about that a majority of Republicans trust; the other one is Fox News (56% of Republicans trust it, with a net trust score among them of +41). When it comes to the national rankings, The Weather Channel is followed by national public broadcaster PBS (+30), the U.K. news outlet BBC (+29), and The Wall Street Journal (+24) in national trust. This year's poll has the same group in the top four as last year's poll — even with the additions to this year's poll.

"Nuggets" are bite-sized, science-backed tips to help creators change the conversation about the climate crisis. The site is a resource, featuring an abundance of creative inspiration and practical tools that can start climate messengers on their journey to creating never-before-seen climate content. “Creative prompt” Nuggets reflect data-backed, climate-friendly behavioral changes and ideas. They also feature content from other creators who have made great content around the topic. “Resource” Nuggets give practical tips on how to start weaving in climate messages into work and brand, even if you’ve never talked about climate before. Examples include “On food,” “On living,” “On nature,” “On moving,” and more.