CLONMEL -- We have started thinking about a meteorological station for Tipperary Institute in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland. If we get it up and running by September, we will join the citizen metereological movement spawned by WeatherBug. It's a way of blending citizen journalism with weather reporting. Our ace card: we have very presentable reporters who are well-able to make 30-second mobisodes out of the weather reports.
The Citizen Meteorologist movement is hopelessly American at the moment but what the hay! If we have a Backyard Tracking Station, we should be able to claim the right to an Irish channel. Fact is, anyone who purchases a Backyard (soon to be localised as "BackGarden" or "BGWS") can register to report on their blog.
Steve Outing wonders, "Is this an attempt to put professional meteorologists out of work, replaced by amateurs with high-tech backyard devices? Of course not, yet that's the reaction I often hear to citizen-journalism initiatives. Just as citizen news reporters can complement the work of professional journalists, this citizen weatherman concept will augment the work of paid meteorologists. The benefit goes to the weather news consumer, who getsdeeper coverage of local weather events than has been available before".
Steve Outing -- "Citizen Meteorologist"
WeatherBug -- "Give the gift of weather"
