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Verbal Communication vs. Visual Communication

What speaks more, verbal or visual communication? Communication is all about relaying information, and in the case of weather communication and broadcasting, it is about relaying quick, factual, and reliable information, which can ultimately be what saves people’s lives.

In weather communication and broadcasting, verbal and visual communication get used together to help produce the most effective message possible. Using graphics in weather forecasts have been around for years, but as times have changed, so have the graphics.

Broadcast meteorologist communicate the weather to the public with words, but what better than to have a visual image or graphic to go along with what they are saying. Yes, weather broadcasts could be done without visuals, but the visuals get the audience engaged and allows them to develop a better understanding of what is being told to them. The verbal aspect of broadcast communication has to be brought down to a level that the average person can understand, and while that can be difficult for the broadcasters and communicators, the visuals that go along with their information brings it all together and gives a picture for the information to be tied to.

When it comes to visual communication in weather broadcasting, it is all about keeping the graphics simple. Often times a message is best explained when there is a simple but powerful graphic to go along with it, and correct verbal communication is all about tone and speed, and visual communication is all about the correct color, motion, size, and font, as stated by Megan Martin in her “Using Graphics to Tell Weather and Climate Stories” presentation at the AMS 45th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology. So while verbal and visual communication can be used independently in weather broadcasting and communication, they are most powerful when used together.

Author: Sara N Housseal


Martin, M. (2017, June 21). Using Graphics to Tell Weather and Climate Stories. Retrieved August 31, 2017, from