MORE random pics......

[sammyg2]

'Most" call themselves meteorologists. SOME really are.

Some are just weathercasters.

Here are a couple that call themselves meteorologists from So Cal morning news, ABC and CBS IIRC.

Notice any similarity?

A B.S. in meteorology is a science degree. But many broadcast meteorologists are not meteorologists at all; they hold a mail-order certificate offered by some schools instead. Is it ethical for TV stations to give just anyone the title “meteorologist”? NAME WITHHELD



Taken at face value, this is not a catastrophe. I don’t know how many people are worried about counterfeit weather personalities. The question does, however, hint at a deeper issue that’s increasingly pertinent: Does an individual have the right to professionally define who she is, or is that designation dictated by other people? Is there an ethical responsibility to describe oneself in a standardized, universally accepted context?

Let’s start with your specific example. According to the American Meteorological Society, a meteorologist, is “an individual with specialized education who uses scientific principles to observe, understand, explain or forecast phenomena in Earth’s atmosphere and/or how the atmosphere affects Earth and life on the planet.” The organization also says that those working in a professional capacity without formal education are merely “weathercasters.” But they add this caveat: “There are cases where an individual has not obtained a degree in meteorology or atmospheric science but has gained sufficient knowledge through coursework and/or professional experience to successfully fill professional positions. . . . These individuals can also be referred to as meteorologists.”

This is where we get into trouble. At what point does the professional experience of being a lowly weathercaster transmogrify someone into a full-on meteorologist? It seems possible to put yourself in a position where referring to yourself as a meteorologist is technically accurate but actively misleading. And this gets to the crux of your query.


Most titles are self-applied. This is generally fine, because most titles are meaningless. If you declare yourself a futurist or a farmer or a musician (or an ethicist), that’s what you are, even if reasonable people can disagree. Most titles indicate only intent (“I call myself a ____ because that is what I aspire to do”). Failure to fulfill that intent has no significant impact on other people; as such, ethics aren’t really in play.

But this is not the case for those rarefied professions in which strangers rely on someone they’ve never met to possess essential, functional, nonnegotiable knowledge that no normal person could attain without intense schooling or specialized experience. I would place neurosurgeon near the top of this tier. I would place meteorologist near the bottom. But still: meteorologists make the cut. It’s unethical for a weathercaster to purport that he or she is a meteorologist, even if she can warp the professional definition to stay within the technical boundaries of legitimacy. This is a title that should be defined by peers. You should not call yourself a meteorologist unless other meteorologists agree that the designation is valid.

[GH85Carrera]

Someone reading the weather in San Diego does not need to be much more than a pretty face.

In Oklahoma if they can't read Doppler radar and really know what they are looking at they might get viewers killed. They need to know how to spot a wall cloud and sheer in the radar image. Heck most of the "storm chasers" the stations use are meteorologists with real degrees from real universities. They would be laughed off the air if they started using the wrong terminology.

As I said, the TV stations have equipment that even the national weather people don't have and it is a very competitive market. When a super cell is approaching and conditions are right the TV station go to constant coverage. No commercials nothing but weather for hours on end, no matter what national broadcast is on.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

'Most" call themselves meteorologists. SOME really are.

Some are just weathercasters.

Here are a couple that call themselves meteorologists from So Cal morning news, ABC and CBS IIRC.

Notice any similarity?

Don't forget Maria! Hardly a meteorologist...but then again, who cares

[sammyg2]

Sometimes it seems all a weather-girl in So cal has to do is .......

[GH85Carrera]

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Sometimes it seems all a weather-girl in So cal has to do is .......

+1 ^^^^ ...And look good in a short skirt!

[GH85Carrera]

My type of fridge!

[varmint]

[sammyg2]

[sammyg2]

A British Racing Motors H16 Formula One engine. This is the final, 1968, 64-valve incarnation of the design. At the Donington Collection museum, Leicestershire, England, UK.

[sammyg2]

[sammyg2]

[GH85Carrera]

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

All of the weather people are genuine certified meteorologists. They are hired for the ability to forecast and not just a pretty face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePG6zUYvUZg

[widebody911]

[widebody911]

[widebody911]

[legion]

Originally Posted by widebody911

Must be a mustang.

[StevoRocket]

Lucy Verasami

the best weather girl in the UK.

https://youtu.be/d8-GKCCg1fQ

[GH85Carrera]