MEDIA GUIDELINES for REPORTING SHARK ENCOUNTERS Ever Since the 1920S, Sharks Have Been Portrayed by Hollywood and the Media As Mindless Killing-Machines
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MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING SHARK ENCOUNTERS Ever since the 1920s, sharks have been portrayed by Hollywood and the media as mindless killing-machines. Now there’s genuine concern that this often-repeated, WE’RE yet unfounded, depiction is standing in the way of shark conservation efforts. It’s our belief that the language used But apathy for shark conservation by the media has kept the JAWS could come at a price. Healthy oceans mythology alive and created a blind provide 50% of the oxygen we breathe GONNA spot in the eyes of the public when and — critically — healthy oceans rely it comes to shark conservation. on healthy shark populations. “ For the survival of sharks and the future of the planet, it has to stop. On average the mainstream UK media reports or features one shark story NEED A Right now around 73 million sharks are every other a week. That’s 25 chances killed every year, that’s roughly two a year to make a difference to the fate every second and scientists predict of sharks and the health of the planet. key shark species could be wiped out forever. We hope that this guideline will BIGGER encourage reporters and editors to At the end of 2017 a nationwide depict sharks and shark encounters survey by Bite-Back Shark & Marine accurately, fairly, and in a way that Conservation, a UK charity, revealed doesn’t jeopardise our blue planet. VOCAB that nearly half (46%) of all Brits thought that ‘sharks are more terrifying that spiders, snakes and rodents combined.’ And 64% would ‘prefer sharks not to exist’. Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation Achieving public support for campaigns Campaign director ” to help save and protect a keystone species that is relentlessly described as ‘menacing, man-eating, monster, killer and beast’ have become especially challenging. BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 2 People expect journalists to be truthful, accurate, objective and impartial when covering a story. But, it could be argued that modern reporting on sharks doesn’t STOP match those ethics. After all, the language used to describe sharks is usually only reserved for serial FEEDING killers, terrorists and rapists. But sharks aren’t the bogeyman. In a world of 7.2 billion people, typically eight people a year die from shark encounters THE and only three shark species — the great white, the bull and the tiger — have been linked to multiple (double digit) human fatalities since records FEAR began in 1543. For the record, there has never been a According to a nationwide fatality from an unprovoked shark attack survey, nearly 30 million in the UK. people living in Britain are terrified of sharks. But why? BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 3 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN REPORTING SHARK ENCOUNTERS HIGHLIGHT THE RARITY OF FATAL JAWS wasn’t a documentary Balance the story with details of ENCOUNTERS threatened shark populations Humans have a 1 in 3.7million Don’t label every bite as an attack; chance of being killed by a shark big sharks can only investigate objects with their teeth Don’t use gaping mouth open shots MOST SHARKS Avoid using words like monster, killer, of sharks to beast, man-eater and referencing JAWS illustrate the story ARE TIMID AND EASILY FRIGHTENED The mere presence of sharks in the sea shouldn’t prompt alarmist headlines BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 4 WORDS TO USE WORDS TO AVOID MAGNIFICENT KILLER AVOID THREATENED MAN-EATER ENDANGERED MONSTER CLICK MAJESTIC BEAST RARE MENACING BAIT ICONIC LURKING Sharks can’t sue, so it’s easy to misrepresent them in attention USE THE CORRECT IMAGE Not all sharks look like the great white. While it might be the most instantly grabbing headlines that sell recognisable of all the sharks, the overuse of great white shark images to illustrate newspapers and encourage shark stories could lead the public to think that all sharks are deadly. clicks. For decades, the media has relentlessly portrayed sharks in print, online and on air with language that inspires hate and fear. It’s time to accurately report shark encounters and turn the tide. GREAT WHITE SHARK BLUE SHARK BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 5 FOR THE SAKE OF LIFE ON EARTH, WE NEED SHARKS Healthy oceans are the lungs Sharks are the ‘big cats’ of the ocean and they sit at the top of the marine and larder of the planet. Healthy food web. oceans produce 50% of the oxygen For 450 million years sharks have we breathe, absorb 20% of all helped shape and maintain the balance man-made CO2 and safeguard 93 of the oceans. Their hunting helps stop species like tuna, jacks, grouper, turtles billion tonnes of wild seafood, for and rays from becoming too abundant human and animal consumption. and over-eating their prey, keeping the ocean ecosystem in balance. The fragile marine environment works in harmony with sharks as a keystone species; helping to prevent population boom- and-bust events from occurring across the food web that could ultimately starve the planet of oxygen and cripple its ability to provide billions of tonnes of protein each year. As apex predators, sharks have ruled the oceans with little to fear. They have survived six mass extinctions and outlived the dinosaurs but now overfishing could wipe out key species in our lifetime. BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 6 MOSQUITO 1,000,000 DEADLY OBJECTS (GLOBAL FIGURES) MORE SNAKES 50,000 TOASTERS 700 DOGS 25,000 BATH TUBS 300 DEADLY HIPPOPOTAMUS 2,000 PEANUTS 120 CROCODILES 1,000 LADDERS 110 THAN ELEPHANT 300 ICICLES 100 SHARKS COWS 200 BEES 100 Here’s a list of animals and the average number of human TIGERS 90 fatalities they cause each year. LIONS 70 BEARS 20 SHARKS 6 BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 7 A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS At the end of 2017 nationwide NO SHARKSA DANGEROUS PLEASE, WE'RE BRITISH THING research commissioned by RESULTS FROM A UK SURVEY OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS SHARKS AND THE OCEANS | NOV 2017 Bite-Back revealed that 83% of Brits think more should be done FOUR TIMES to protect the oceans but 64% AS MANY PEOPLE WRONGLY THINK SHARKS ARE MORE DEADLY THAN TOASTERS AND COWS would rather sharks didn’t exist. ONE THIRD 83% 64% HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE BASKING SHARK, THE LARGEST FISH THINK THE OCEANS WOULD PREFER IN UK WATERS AND THE SECOND DESERVE GREATER SHARKS NOT THINK SHARKS ARE MORE LARGEST FISH IN THE WORLD PROTECTION TO EXIST TERRIFYING THAN SPIDERS, 46% SNAKES AND MICE COMBINED 97% SIMPLY HAVE NO IDEA THAT AN ESTIMATED KNOW THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 SPECIES 73,000,000 1% OF SHARKS IN UK WATERS SHARKS ARE KILLED EVERY YEAR WITH MANY HUNTED JUST FOR THEIR FINS TO MAKE SHARK FIN SOUP CHARITY COMMITTED TO MAKING BRITAIN SHARK FIN FREE BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 8 THREATS TO SHARKS INDUSTRIAL FISHING SHARK FIN SOUP SHARK PRODUCTS Overfishing is the single biggest threat Once only served to Chinese Bite-Back is working to identify UK to shark populations. The advent of Emperors, shark fin soup is now businesses selling shark products and modern fishing boats — capable of regarded as an overt demonstration inspiring them to stop. By removing spending weeks at sea — coupled with of wealth and prestige. profit opportunities for shark products, sonar, satellite and fish-finders mean sharks will no longer have a commercial that sharks have nowhere left to hide. In a booming Asian economy, value. demand for shark fin soup has The International Union for the reached record levels. Already the charity has inspired Conservation of Nature recently ASDA, Iceland Foods and MAKRO (a reported that 85% of the world’s Shark fins feature cartilaginous nationwide cash-and-carry) to end the fish stocks are fully exploited or strands that run from the base to the sale of shark meat. As a result it’s no overexploited. Without intervention the tip. It’s these noodles of cartilage longer possible to buy shark meat from big fish, like sharks, will be the first to that are served in shark fin soup. any multiple retailer. disappear. Because shark cartilage only adds texture, they are prepared in a broth Other notable outcomes include Sharks are often caught as by-catch by made from fish or chicken stock to prompting Holland & Barrett to remove the swordfish and tuna fishing industry. add flavour. shark cartilage capsules from 580 While shark meat has a relatively low stores across the country. market value, shark fins (used as the Five years ago there were 65 UK title ingredient in shark fin soup) have restaurants serving shark fin soup. Shark teeth and jaws are readily become one of the most valuable Bite-Back’s campaign has helped available online from retailers including seafood items on the planet. As a prompt 82% of these restaurants to eBay and Amazon, while shark steak result, fishermen will cut the valuable drop the controversial dish. regularly features on fish counters and fins from sharks and throw the body restaurant menus across the country. overboard to die. BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 9 1. Sharks have three more senses than humans. 11. In some parts of the world populations of great This means they can easily detect electricity from whites, hammerheads and oceanic whitetips muscle movement in prey, vibrations in the water have fallen by 90% since 1950 and changes in water temperature SHARK 12.