Iowa meteorologist, Chris Gloninger, has decided to leave his broadcasting career after facing harassment over his coverage of climate change and its impact on weather. Gloninger spent 18 years in broadcasting but is now moving to Massachusetts with his wife to work for the Woods Hole Group, an environmental science and consulting organization. Gloninger plans to continue engaging with the public to communicate scientific findings despite his departure from broadcasting.
Gloninger never expected to receive hateful sentiment for reporting objective, scientific findings, but he is excited to continue working in the field of environmental science. In fact, Hurricane Bob had a profound impact on Gloninger’s childhood in Sag Harbor, New York, which led him to regularly educate his audience about the effects of climate change. However, this drew criticism and eventually, a death threat.
Misinformation campaigns have made it difficult for legitimate news organizations to deliver accurate information, leading to threats against reporters becoming all too common. Negative emails had a cumulative effect on Gloninger’s mental health, leaving lingering trauma that he’s still processing. Despite this, he hopes for kindness, even if someone disagrees with his views on climate change.
Gloninger’s departure from KCCI will see him join Woods Hole Group as a senior scientist, where he’ll focus on climate change and risk communication with communities. Gloninger plans to use his expertise to help solve the climate crisis, and he will continue to engage with the public to communicate scientific findings. The Woods Hole Group is an environmental science and consulting organization that is committed to developing practical solutions to environmental challenges.
Gloninger’s departure from broadcasting and move to the Woods Hole Group is a positive step towards addressing the climate crisis. Despite facing harassment and threats, Gloninger remains committed to using his expertise to educate and inform the public about the impacts of climate change.
