Using Weathercasters to Deliver a Climate Change Message

Eight weather broadcasters were invited to interview President Barack Obama and spend the day at the White House.

From Al Roker of the “Today” show to local weathermen and women from Chicago, Miami, Seattle and other cities, the handpicked guests were there, the Administration hoped, to spread the word contained in a landmark new report, the National Climate Assessment, that the warming climate is causing sweeping change across the United States.

Polls show that local television weathercasters are among the most trusted media figures, but there is a deep divide between those who accept the link between human activities and global warming and extreme weather and those who do not.