The Weather Wars and Well-Being: Factors That Influence the Job Satisfaction of Weathercasters

Weathercasting is an understudied topic in journalism studies, even though weathercasters are trusted news personalities who can play an important role in developing their viewers’ political knowledge of issues related to weather and climate. This study addresses this gap by investigating the factors that influence the job satisfaction of U.S. weathercasters. Through 42 interviews, I find that increasing workloads without proportional increases in compensation; sexism in the workplace; negative interactions with viewers; and conflicts with management are frequent sources of dissatisfaction that contribute to weathercasters leaving their jobs, and their absence may lead viewers to seek information from less-credible sources.