Terrorism Alerts on the Weather Channel

I often feel like the talking heads on television are using the threat of terrorism as a tool to manipulate us. They sometimes appear to exaggerate the threat as a way of appearing patriotic or important. I do not trust them to be accurate in their predictions about the real risks associated with possible terrorist attacks.

Lately, the only television talking heads I do trust are the people at the Weather Channel. I rely on them in the morning to offer solid predictions about the day’s weather based on expert opinions. I rely on them to tell the truth in the middle of the night when I wake up and need to be distracted from myself. The familiar talking heads at the Weather Channel speak to me as trusted, stable, consistent professionals.

The Weather Channel people do not scream at each other like the politicians and pseudo journalists on television. They do not have disguised political objectives that they promote through their weather predictions. They just present the truth as well as they know it in a clear, pleasant, non-judgmental way. When a part of the country experiences a weather-related disaster the Weather Channel people are there to accurately describe what has happened and to give practical, concrete information about relief efforts.

I wish the Weather Channel was the public face of the Department of Homeland Security. I would be so much more inclined to believe my trusted talking heads at the Weather Channel than the government spokespeople or their journalist collaborators. I take some comfort in the fact that the politicians and pseudo-journalists cannot politicize the Weather Channel – yet.