Spatio-Temporal Differences in Place-Making: How Oklahoma Broadcast Meteorologists Report on Weather Before, During, and After the May 6th, 2024, Tornado Outbreak

Journalistic place-making involves understanding audiences and delivering news stories through a careful consideration of their needs and interests, encompassing both the ideological and practical work journalists do in shaping dominant understandings of geography. This paper represents the first attempt to connect this concept to weather news, offering a pioneering perspective on how meteorological knowledge production shapes the construction and representation of places affected by weather. Using the 6 May 2024 tornado outbreak in Oklahoma as a case study, this research explores how local broadcast meteorologists discuss tornado risk in the days leading up to, during, and immediately following the event. A qualitative content analysis (QCA) of broadcasts from three major Oklahoma City television stations—KFOR, KOCO, and KWTV—reveals how these professionals determine what (as well as when) risk information is shared, the extent to which it is provided, and to whom it is directed, illustrating how the identification of at-risk communities evolves over time. Preliminary results indicate that broadcast meteorologists engage in place-making in diverse ways, with some relying on local knowledge and folklore, while others emphasize geographical characteristics such as topography and man-made features to frame the tornado threat. By understanding how geography is selected as the ideological focus of weather coverage, we can work toward creating more inclusive risk communication practices that resonate with the communities we serve.