Evlondo Cooper

2024 was another year of unprecedented or significant climate impacts, including 27 billion-dollar weather disasters, the second-highest number of billion-dollar weather disasters on record in the U.S. And the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in 2022 and allocated a historic $369 billion in climate and energy provisions, continued to help transform the clean energy landscape. Despite these sweeping investments and the growing urgency of the climate crisis, a Media Matters analysis found that corporate broadcast networks aired 12 hours and 51 minutes of climate coverage in 2024 — a 25% decline in volume of coverage from 2023.This reduction in climate coverage from ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox Broadcast Co. (for its Sunday morning political show only) occurred amid significant political events, economic shifts, and global conflicts, which may have diverted attention from climate issues, despite their escalating severity. But it’s still deeply concerning, especially coming just ahead of Donald Trump’s re

The destructive wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles County since January 7, spurred by high winds and severe drought conditions, highlighted a persistent blind spot in national TV coverage around reporting the links between such disasters and climate change. This disconnect between the volume of coverage of the LA fires and the larger context behind them reflects a critical missed opportunity during a time when extreme weather events are intensifying and comprehensive climate coverage has never been more crucial.

National TV news networks dedicated only 57 minutes to this year’s COP29 — the United Nations' annual climate summit, where nearly 200 countries negotiate global climate action — compared to 5 hours and 42 minutes of coverage in 2023. This decrease in coverage comes during a critical moment when climate negotiations face mounting challenges including complex financing discussions for developing nations.

NBC spotlights Phoenix weatherization efforts as the Inflation Reduction Act distributes $8.8 billion for home energy improvements

Hurricane Milton's unprecedented rapid intensification to a Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds on October 7 was a clear indication of global warming's role in driving stronger, more intense storms. Fueled by record-warm Gulf waters made up to 800 times more likely by global warming, Milton became the strongest late-season Gulf storm on record. When Milton made landfall on October 9 as a Category 3, it devastated Florida's west coast, causing at least 24 deaths and a preliminary estimate of $30 billion to $60 billion in damage. While only 6% of national TV news segments about Hurricane Milton mentioned climate change — in line with previous storms — these mentions generally provided deeper analysis of the global warming connection than in past coverage of storms, representing a qualitative improvement in climate reporting, even as the overall frequency of climate discussion in extreme weather coverage remained low.

Last weekend’s Hurricane Helene devastated several states, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. As the federal government mobilizes significant resources for response and recovery, right-wing media outlets and influencers are spreading falsehoods about these aid efforts. While President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris coordinate comprehensive relief operations, Fox News, other conservative outlets, and right-wing social media personalities have propagated several key lies about the federal response to the storm.

CBS' October 1 vice presidential debate put climate change front and center, breaking from recent debates that sidelined the issue. In the wake of Hurricane Helene's devastating path across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, moderators Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan pressed candidates on specific climate plans and reinforced the scientific consensus on climate change's role in intensifying hurricanes.  This approach promptly drew criticism from right-wing media figures and online influencers who argued that CBS had overemphasized climate at the expense of covering issues like the economy and immigration. These critics, many of whom have previously questioned climate science, disregarded both the context of Helene's destruction and increasing public concern over climate impacts. Their responses often employed familiar narratives of climate skepticism and attempted to challenge the scientific information presented by the moderators, illustrating right wing media's ongoing resistance to substantive climate d

Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions after making landfall on September 26. The storm, which killed at least 135 people with hundreds more still unaccounted for and left millions without power, was the strongest ever to hit Florida's Big Bend region. The rapid intensification of the storm was fueled by "exceptionally warm" ocean water, as well as hot Gulf waters  – a clear signal of global warming's impact. Despite these climate links and the storm's unusual strength, national TV news coverage largely failed to connect Helene to climate change. This coverage gap exemplified how TV news continually sidelines climate change reporting, even as extreme weather events harm increasing numbers of American lives.

ABC News relegated climate change to a brief, last-minute question during the September 10 presidential debate — even as millions of Americans faced a stark backdrop of climate-driven disasters.  The consequences of this choice to downplay the climate crisis extended beyond the debate itself — major cable news networks completely ignored the issue in more than 31 hours of combined post-debate coverage.  This omission highlights a systemic issue in news media: The frequent deprioritization of climate change despite the urgent and pervasive harm global warming is causing to communities across the country. In fact, 99% of Americans experienced at least one alert for extreme heat, wildfires, storms, or flooding this summer. As climate-related events continue to reshape America, this lack of substantive coverage from influential news sources raises significant concerns about public awareness of this critical issue in the context of the 2024 election.

ABC's September 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will take place against the backdrop of an escalating crisis marked by destructive climate-related disasters such as flooding, wildfires, and heat waves. This pivotal first debate between the two nominees offers a critical chance to spotlight climate issues in the 2024 election, building on the precedent set in 2020 when moderators Chris Wallace and Kristen Welker elevated climate change and environmental justice in presidential debates.  With anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis moderating, and bolstered by its improved climate coverage, ABC is uniquely positioned to drive a substantive climate discussion that meets rising voter expectations across the political spectrum. As climate impacts intensify, ABC's moderators must set a new standard for addressing climate issues in presidential debates.