I don’t think the analogy works in either situation. When I thought the story was about an asteroid, I thought, “Hmm, let’s back up for a minute, don’t get emotional about it, just get as much information as possible and work with what we’ve got.”
That’s exactly the same reaction as I’ve had to climate stories — and this article articulates it well:
We should reduce the risk of climate change, including from tipping points, by moving from dirtier to cleaner fuel and helping finance the water, electrical, and farming infrastructure that poor nations need to become less vulnerable.
I was surprised to be asked whether some amount of exaggeration about climate change wasn’t necessary to grab people’s attention. My response was, “Not if journalists and scientists hope for any trust with the public.”
I asked Jeffrey how she would answer such a question.
“Raising awareness of an issue is important,” she said, “but there’s a difference between raising awareness and telling children younger than myself that they might not grow up. Climate fear-mongering has become very child-aimed. I see a lot of mental health issues and fatalism.”
