Hot off the press: Canadian researchers dissect media coverage of 2021 Western Heat Dome
Published: September 27, 2023
Researchers from the University of Ottawa and Health Canada have released the first articles in a series of studies exploring media coverage of the 2021 Western Heat Dome, uncovering important insights into the role and effectiveness of the media in informing vulnerable populations about the risks they face, and how to keep themselves safe.
During an extreme heat event, the media serves a vital role in informing the public about risks and responses. How information is presented in the press is important; it can increase awareness and spur action, or it can downplay risk and contribute to dangerous complacency.
As exposure to extreme heat continues to rise due to climate change, it is becoming increasingly important for the press to strategically cover heat events in order to help protect those at risk.
In order to understand how extreme heat is covered in Canadian press, and the impact of that coverage, a team of researchers from the University of Ottawa’s Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, together with experts from Health Canada’s Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, recently conducted a series of studies exploring media coverage of the most historic and deadly extreme heat event on record in Canada – the 2021 Western Heat Dome.
Messaging lacked guidance, info for vulnerable groups
This comprehensive series of studies analyzed nearly 3,000 articles published from the onset of the first heat warning to seven months following the event. The research uncovered critical insights, such as finding that the majority of articles focused on record-breaking temperatures and infrastructure impacts instead of providing guidance on reliable strategies for reducing the health impacts of extreme heat.
The authors also found that even when health impacts were included, they were often inconsistent in their wording/language, incorrect or overly simplified, and that few articles provided messaging for heat-vulnerable groups.
They also found that there was generally low coverage in advance of the heat event, indicating that the press did not consider the initial alert newsworthy, that the articles heavily relied on government officials as experts, and that the media coverage prioritized urban centers over rural areas.
Concurrent health crises complicated messaging
The researchers investigated how the media framed the extreme heat event in the context of concurrent public health crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid overdose crisis. In both analyses, the authors highlighted the critical impact that risk prioritization can have on public health messaging when an extreme heat event occurs concurrently with another crisis.
For example, in analyzing the duality with the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors found that many pandemic-related public health messages may have deterred people away from protecting themselves from heat (e.g., suggesting that accessing cooling centers would put them at risk of contracting COVID-19).
Ultimately, the authors concluded that in the coming decades our health systems and public health management will likely need to adapt to handle overlapping threats, and therefore preparing and developing consistent and evidence-based public health messaging is critical.
Coverage showed widespread impacts on workers
The study series looked into how the media portrayed the effects of extreme temperatures on both indoor and outdoor workers, finding that over 60 different occupational groups were reported in the media to have been impacted in some capacity.
This included many groups known to be heat-exposed, but also found that many workers are exposed to temperature extremes in unairconditioned indoor environments.
Through their analysis of media based stories of lived experience and testimonials of workers, their findings highlighted that the extreme heat event impacted workers in many different ways, including negative health outcomes, increased work demand, and loss of income.
Images downplayed risk
The researchers conducted a visual content analysis of over 800 images featured in the articles.
Their findings highlighted a tendency in the media to portray extreme heat positively, often using images of crowded public beaches and children playing in splash pads.
“This portrayal downplays the genuine threat posed by extreme heat,” said lead researcher and PhD candidate Emily Tetzlaff, “Visual aids are essential for many individuals, particularly those with English as a second language, newcomers, or those facing literacy challenges. There is a major opportunity for media outlets to improve the impact of their coverage simply by choosing images that more accurately depict the risks, impacts and responses to extreme heat.”
Authors call for strategic coverage, collaborative messaging
The study authors recommended that editors and journalists consider the timing and content of articles to better promote heat-protective behavior, use captions to highlight actions that reduce risk, and include images that feature vulnerable individuals.
Because of the critical role of risk communication during extreme weather events, collaborative efforts between public health authorities and the media are crucial for disseminating evidence-based public health messages effectively.
Enhanced communication through the media will ultimately bolster public resilience and preparedness in responding to heat-related challenges.
At present (updated December 2023), three studies from this series have been published, while others are undergoing peer review:
- The Intersection of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 2021 Heat Dome in Canadian Digital News Media: A Content Analysis
- Working under the 2021 Heat Dome: A Content Analysis of Occupational Impacts Mentioned in the Canadian Media
- Hot Topic: A Systematic Review and Content Analysis of Heat-Related Messages During the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada
Stay tuned for further updates as this valuable research becomes available to the public.
You might also be interested in:
Guidance: Reporting on Extreme Heat and Health
Media representations of heatwaves and climate change play an important role in how the public thinks about, perceives, prepares for and acts on risks to their health, and how decision and policy makers address the problem.
This information package is intended to provide journalists, editors and others working in the media and communications sector with guidance and perspectives on how extreme heat and heat health narratives and imagery can help save lives and drive action.