[Online Seminar for Media – February 14th, 2025] Weather Forecast Innovation: Delivering Climate Change News while Increasing the Viewership – Learning Success Stories from France Television and Emerging Changes in Japanese Media –

We will introduce the leading examples from “France Télévisions” and Japan, presented by Ms. Audrey Cerdan who leads the climate change reporting of France Télévisions, Mr. Akira Masaki who initiated weather forecasts using the “warming index” and Ms. Katsue Shoji who communicates climate change through daily weather forecasts.

Weather forecasts and weather presenters are similarly popular in both France and Japan. We will feature a climate editor from “France Télévisions” who successfully led broadcasting that combines weather information with climate change, along with Mr. Masaki, a weather forecaster who has pioneered the use of the “warming index” in Japanese weather forecasts, and Ms. Katsue Shoji, who leads a project incorporating climate change communication into radio weather forecasts, to explain role models for communication that connects weather and climate. From examining weather forecasts that achieved high ratings while explaining climate change in France, we will explore the role and future vision of weather forecasting in an era of global boiling.

◼︎Date: 2025 /2/14/8:00 PM – 9:30PM(JST)
◼︎Host: MEDIA IS HOPE Inc.
◼︎Co-organised by: Weather Forecasters against the Climate Crisis (WFCC)
◼︎Subject: Media and weather forecasters
◼︎Capacity: 300 online (Reception will end once capacity is reached)
◼︎Registration: Free
◼︎Registration Form: https://forms.gle/DiutFr5onGukQD1s5
<<We can accept your application until 2/13 11:59 PM local time>>

*This seminar is coordinated for Japanese media, although the lecture “Elevating Climate Change for Better Weather Reports” by Ms. Audrey Cerdan and the Q&A session followed by it will be in English. If you are interested, please join. After that will be all in Japanese, so feel free to sign off anytime.

◼︎Timeline:
8:00-8:05　Opening Remarks（Event overview & speaker introductions）
8:05-8:20　Viewing of “Journal Météo-Climat” Broadcast Example (With Japanese subtitles)
8:20-8:50    Q&A Session with Ms. Audrey Cerdan (With consecutive interpretation)
8:50-9:05　Case Study of Climate Change Coverage through Weather Forecasts
　　　　　  on “Ohayou Asahdesu(Morning news show)” by Mr. Akira Masaki
9:05-9:10　 Changes in Daily Weather Forecasts on “J-WAVE” by Ms. Katsue Shoji
9:10-9:25　 Q&A Session with Mr. Masaki and Ms. Shoji
9:25-9:30　 Closing

 About the seminar

There is a growing movement to communicate the impacts of climate change on weather through everyday weather forecasts that are familiar to the general public.
In 2023, French public broadcaster “France Télévisions” launched “Journal Météo-Climat,” a segment within their weather forecast that explains the connection between weather and climate change.
The program achieved success by not only connecting climate change and weather, but also raising the viewer rate. （She has won the Grand Prize of “CCNow Journalism Award” from “Covering Climate Now,” which is a climate change reporting network with more than 500 media outlets in 50 countries around the world.)

For this seminar, we are pleased to welcome Ms. Audrey Cerdan, who oversees climate change coverage across the newsroom as the climate and environment editor at France Télévisions. We will learn about the initiatives through a lecture video. Ms. Audrey will join us online from France to discuss the following topics, with the assistance of an interpreter.

・Steps taken in transforming from the previous program to the current program/Challenges encountered while restructuring program content
・Viewers’ reactions to the renewed program /Topics that received positive feedback from viewers
・About “Solution Journalism”/ How to cover the solutions

Reference：
Interview with Ms. Audrey Cerdan of France Télévisions (NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute Blog)（Japanese article）

Meanwhile, in June 2024, 44 weather forecasters throughout Japan issued the “Joint Statement of Weather Forecasters and Weather Presenters on the Climate Crisis.” They announced their commitment to accelerating actions to improve understanding of the climate change issues, aiming to “communicate the connection between extreme weather and climate change,” both within and outside of weather forecasts. We will have presentations from Mr. Akira Masaki, a weather forecaster who initiated weather forecasts using the “warming index” in Japan, and Ms. Katsue Shoji, who leads climate change communication in radio weather forecasts. Although it will be a short session, we plan to cover the following points.

・Achievements/outcomes obtained since issuing the “Joint Statement of Weather Forecasters and Weather Presenters on the Climate Crisis”
・Commentary on cases of climate change reporting in Japan
・Challenges in communicating climate change through Japanese TV/radio

Reference for further information：
Weather Forecaster Akira Masaki Begins Including “Warming Index” in Weather Reports（Huffpost Japan）（Japanese article）
Interview with Ms. Shoji Katsue of J-WAVE  (NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute Blog)（Japanese article）

Weather forecasts, which are deeply connected to our daily life, could play a crucial role in enhancing climate change literacy across society by expanding viewers’ interest through daily weather to the broader issue of the climate crisis. The speakers will share their initiatives and challenges to date, including techniques for engaging viewers and audience responses, as we explore the role and future vision of weather forecasting in an era of global boiling.

We hope you can take away some ideas that could serve as guidelines for future climate change reporting, from the role model of reporting that effectively connects weather and climate.

Registration Form: https://forms.gle/DiutFr5onGukQD1s5
<<We can accept your application until 2/13 11:59 PM local time>>

 Guest Speakers

 

<Ms. Audrey Cerdan >
Climate Editor of Public Service Broadcaster, France Télévisions 
Started her career as a visual journalist at the independent French news website “Rue89” launched in 2007. After leading a multidisciplinary team conceiving interactive and visual stories at the weekly magazine “Le Nouvel Obs,” she joined public service news website “Franceinfo” as an editor-in-chief. In 2022, she went on to work with the French non-profit “Expertises Climat,” a network of climate scientists for stronger media coverage of the climate crisis. She joined “France Télévisions” to design and launch the new daily “Journal Météo-Climat,” in early 2023 – an evolution of traditional weather forecasts towards a program that puts the everyday weather coverage in the context of a changing climate – a transformation that was welcomed by the audience. She has since been appointed climate and environment editor for the public service broadcaster’s news branch, with a broader role across the newsroom. In 2024, Ms.Cerdan was named “Journalist of the year” by the American organization “Covering Climate Now”.

 

<Mr. Akira Masaki >
Weather Forecaster for “Ohayo Asahi Desu” (Good Morning Asahi), Asahi Television Broadcasting Corporation/Founder of “Joint Statement of Weather Forecasters and Weather Presenters on the Climate Crisis”
Weather forecaster who shares vital information about natural disaster prevention, drawing on their expertise as a certified disaster prevention specialist. Gives lectures on disaster prevention, SDGs, and the climate crisis, while running the informational website “Masaki Akirano Survival Labo(Akira Masaki’s Survival Lab).” Launched “Chikyu Labo(Earth Lab)” in 2022, an educational outreach project teaching children about the climate crisis. In 2024, took the initiative to publish the “Joint Statement by Weather Forecasters and Weather Presenters on the Climate Crisis” and founded “Team WFCC,” collaborating with fellow weather forecasters to deliver weather information that highlights climate crisis connections.

 

<Ms. Katsue Shoji >
News Announcer, J-WAVE Newsroom
Freelance announcer, weather forecaster, and disaster prevention specialist. Previously served as an announcer at IBC Iwate Broadcasting and TV TOKYO Holdings Corporation before transitioning to freelance work. Currently delivers news, weather forecasts, and traffic information at J-WAVE newsroom. A signatory to the “Joint Statement by Weather Forecasters and Weather Presenters on the Climate Crisis” and leads “Kikouhendouhe Akusyon! WEATHER INFORMATION(Take Action on Climate Change! WEATHER INFORMATION),” a weather forecast segment launched in August last year that raises awareness about climate change. Committed to inspiring listener awareness and behavioral change by not only sharing information about climate change but also highlighting “actions individuals can take.”

◼︎Co-organised by: Weather Forecasters against the Climate Crisis (WFCC)
A collaborative group of weather forecasters formed by signatories of the “Joint Statement of Weather Forecasters and Weather Presenters on the Climate Crisis,” which garnered support from 44 weather forecasters working at key television stations in Tokyo and nationwide. Engaged in activities that protect life and the future through “communicating the connection between extreme weather and climate change.” They welcome contact from weather forecasters who would like to support this initiative, as well as media professionals and various stakeholders. They will strengthen partnerships and cooperation with experts and media, and weather forecasters and weather presenters will become a bridge to communicating the climate crisis.

■ Host: MEDIA IS HOPE Inc.
Media is Hope is an organization that provides various support to strengthen the media coverage of climate change, based on the belief that correct knowledge of climate change is the first step to create a common awareness in Japan and to promote behavioral change in order to realize a society that can solve climate change.  The organization serves as a bridge for media, citizens, corporations, and all stakeholders to build a co-creative relationship in order to achieve essential solutions to climate change. In addition, the organization operates the Climate Media Initiative, a media collaboration platform that transcends media outlets and affiliations.
MEDIA IS HOPE Inc. also provide spaces for various stakeholders to connect and co-create, such as by hosting the Climate Change Media Symposium, where media professionals, international organizations such as the United Nations, experts, practitioners, citizens and young people discuss the type of reporting required to solve climate change, and “Let’s Make It Together! Renewable Energy Day” supported by the Ministry of the Environment.
HP：http://media-is-hope.org