The Bureau of Meteorology has dropped a BoMshell on Australian media by declaring it wants to be called “the Bureau”.
In a move that caused a storm of controversy online, the BoM said it should no longer be referred to by its acronym but by its full name in the first instance and “the Bureau” thereafter.
The Bureau of Meteorology no longer wants to be called "the BoM" pic.twitter.com/C7dhN2e51L
— @MartySilk (@MartySilkHack) October 17, 2022
The bureau – not to be mistaken for the long-running French thriller series, the 80s band or the US Federal Bureau of Investigation – will adjust its social media handles accordingly.
But after the announcement other Twitter users were quick to snatch up names that included “bureau’ or to point out that others were already taken.
I can see why they want to come across as more professional, but I’m confused about why they announced they’ll be using my Twitter handle without asking me first!
— Australia’s Little Bureau (@TheBureau_Au) October 18, 2022
We know you're under water, but rest assured, our biggest priority right now is that you stop calling us 'the BOM'. pic.twitter.com/uT9n6mNAVE
— The Bureau TAS (@Bureau_Tas) October 18, 2022
The change seems to be an attempt by the bureau to be taken more seriously.
“With an ever increasing number of severe weather events, it is more crucial than ever that the Bureau of Meteorology’s insights, wisdom, data and information are shared, understood and acted upon,” it said.
“To support this need, the Bureau of Meteorology asks that media outlets update editorial style to ensure references to the organisation are by its full name, the Bureau of Meteorology or the Bureau for short, and not BOM or the Weather Bureau. This aligns with the Meteorology Act 1955 … Please update your style guides accordingly.”
One poor comms person at "the bureau" is about to get the shittest outreach job https://t.co/EcdcojYVzJ
— 🎃Wes(tern hegemony)🎃 Mountain (@therevmountain) October 17, 2022
There is no word yet whether the Australian Bureau of Statistics will challenge the bureau for the title.
See bom.gov.au for any further updates, or visit Australia’s official weather app at BOM.
