Look Out! Mercury is in Retrograde

If you’re a news producer, you’ve likely seen the “First Warning” branding used for everything from incoming tornadoes to icy road conditions. But at Sinclair’s WSYX (branded as Fox 28), it seems the "First Warning" now applies to the alignment of the planets.

A recent morning broadcast featured a full-screen graphic warning viewers to "brace for" Mercury in retrograde from February 26th through March 20th. The "First Warning" didn’t include wind speeds or precipitation percentages. Instead, it warned of "miscommunications," "false starts," and "missing details."

This isn’t the first time astrology has crept into the newsroom. Veterans of the industry might remember the 1970s and 80s when "What's your sign?" was a legitimate segment on several major affiliates. Even into the 1990s, KDKA in Pittsburgh was known to weave astrological forecasts into their lifestyle blocks.

But as the industry moved toward data-driven reporting and "investigative" brand identities, the stars seemed to fade out of the morning rundown—until now.

The inclusion of Mercury in Retrograde on a news ticker raises a legitimate question for news directors: Does this belong on a newscast?

We live in an era where "trust in media" is a daily battle. While these segments are often intended as lighthearted "water cooler" talk to bridge the gap between hard news and weather, the branding choice is curious. When we use the same "First Warning" graphics for a celestial event that we use for a Level 3 snow emergency, do we risk diluting the urgency of our actual news?

The graphic even offered lifestyle advice, suggesting viewers "rekindle a romance" or "renew commitments." It’s a far cry from "avoid the I-71 split due to a jackknifed semi."

Is this a smart play for morning ratings by leaning into lifestyle trends that resonate with a younger, astrology-obsessed demographic? Or is it a step backward for a medium that is already struggling to define what constitutes "factual" reporting?

If your morning anchor starts giving advice on "reunited with old friends" because of the position of Mercury, you might want to check if your newsroom's credibility is the thing actually in retrograde.