The Impact of Language in Reporting Extreme Weather Events

This week headlines warned of a ‘bomb cyclone’ forming on the Australian east coast. However, the Bureau of Meteorology has stopped short of using that terminology in media commentary and has not officially called this week’s event anything other than a ‘vigorous’ coastal low. But the severe weather system did wreak havoc on some parts of the coastline, causing flooding, damage to properties and flight cancellations.Nour Haydar speaks with the head of newsroom, Mike Ticher, and deputy editor Patrick Keneally about why language matters and how crucial it is to refer to the climate crisis when covering extreme weather