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. Sharks have the largest brain of any fish 2. Female sharks tend to be bigger than males 13. Great white sharks can typically go without food 3. Shark skin features overlapping dermal denticles for 10 weeks - V-shaped scales - that make them more FACTS hydrodynamic and faster in the water. These have 14. Greenland sharks can live for over 500 years been mimicked in Olympic swimwear. There are more than 480 15. Shark pregnancies can range from 5 months to species of sharks. The largest, 4. Only three sharks have been linked to multiple 3.5 years (frilled shark), depending on the species (double digit) human fatalities - the great white, the whale shark, can grow to the bull and the tiger 16. The two biggest sharks in the world - the whale the size of a single decker and basking - are plankton eaters 5. Spain, France, Portugal and Britain rank in the top London bus. The smallest, the 25 shark fishing nations in the world 17. Sharks can smell in stereo because each nostril pygmy shark, is the length of detects smell independently 6. 73 million sharks are killed every year; equivalent a pencil. to two every second 18. Different sharks have different teeth to best match their typical prey 7. One in four shark species is listed as threatened, including the great white, the oceanic whitetip, 19. The mechanical shark in JAWS was nicknamed hammerheads, the thresher and the whale shark Bruce after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Reynolds 8. Shark fins, used as the title ingredient in shark fin soup, are one of the most expensive seafood 20. Celebrity shark fans include Leonardo DiCaprio, items on the planet Ben Stiller, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Branson, January Jones, Jack Johnson, Edward Norton, 9. The shortfin mako is the fastest shark, clocked at and Gordon Ramsay speeds of 40mph 21. Sharks have survived six mass extinctions but 10.. On average British cows kill more people (7) overfishing could wipe some species out every year than all the sharks in the world (6)
BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 10 To the surprise of many people, there are dozens of shark species off our coastline plus other BRITISH seasonal visitors. The basking shark, the second largest shark in the world, is an annual visitor to the south-east SHARKS and east coast of Britain from May to September. Big sharks including the smooth hammerhead, thresher and shortfin mako (the fastest shark in the world) can also be found in British seas.
The fact that hundreds of years of fishing records have never featured a great white shark suggests that this shark doesn’t patrol our waters.
Angel Bramble Knifetooth dogfish Shortfin Mako Angular Roughshark Common smoothhound Leafscale gulper Small spotted catshark Basking Demon catshark Longnose velvet dogfish Smooth hammerhead Birdbeak dogfish Frilled Nursehound Spiny dogfish Black dogfish Great lanternshark Porbeagle Starry smoothhound Blackmouth catshark Greenland Portuguese dogfish Thresher Blue Gulper Sailfin roughshark Tope Bluntnose sixgill Kitefin Sharpnose sevengill Velvet belly lanternshark
BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 11 ABOUT BITE-BACK SHARK GET IN & MARINE CONSERVATION TOUCH The charity is based in Kingston upon To combat overfishing of sharks Bite-Back’s goal is to make Britain the first A t-shirt with the slogan Reel Men Fish Thames, just 35 Bite-Back is working to eliminate western country in the world to ban shark For Sharks was removed from Tesco minutes from London products — shark meat, fins, cartilage capsules stores following pressure from Bite-Back Waterloo train station. retail opportunities for all shark and trinkets (jaws and teeth) — by 2022. and supporters. Campaign director products. Without commercial and spokesperson, Already the charity’s campaigns have seen Mary Berry removed a recipe for shark with Graham Buckingham, value, there will be less incentive ASDA end the sale of 100,000 portions of tropical salsa from a cookbook and issued an has delivered two TEDx to hunt sharks. shark steaks every year. It has motivated apology after Bite-Back and supporters voiced talks and is available Iceland Foods to remove shark steaks from concern for threatened sharks. for live or recorded an exotic range of meat and it has prompted television and radio MAKRO (a nationwide cash-and-carry) to no Bite-Back’s campaigns encouraged the interviews. longer sell shark steaks. country’s largest health food store, Holland & Barrett, to remove shark cartilage capsules Steve Backshall is Since Bite-Back launched its Hacked Off shark from 580 stores nationwide. the charity’s patron. fin soup campaign more than 50 restaurants With some notice, (82%) — including the country’s only Michelin- The charity’s No Fin To Declare petition calling it’s possible that starred Chinese restaurant — have removed on the EU to end the 20kg personal import Steve can reach a the controversial dish from menus. limit of sharks fins has already clocked up phone or provide 155,000 signatures from supporters around written commentary Working with Westminster Trading Standards the world. on sharks and sharks the team exposed a top London restaurant, conservation issues. Royal China on Baker Street, for selling illegally imported shark fins.
BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 12 STEVE WENDY HUGH FEARNELY- BACKSHALL BENCHLEY WHITTINGSTALL PATRON, TV PRESENTER, ADVENTURER OCEAN AMBASSADOR CHEF AND CAMPAIGNER
“As someone who has swum with dozens of species “My late-husband Peter wrote JAWS 44 year ago. “Sharks are getting a bad press that of sharks, including all of the so-called ‘man-eaters’, While the original book and the blockbuster films have they simply don’t deserve. Decades of I know through experience of their serene beauty, become a pop culture phenomenon, it’s important to sensational headlines describing them their ancient heritage, and their total disinterest in remember the concept for JAWS came from Peter’s as killers, beasts and monsters has human beings as food. it breaks my heart then to imagination. It was fiction, not fact. stripped sharks of their status as vital see how the media portray sharks. marine species and, all too often, left “For far too long the news media has been reporting the public frightened for little reason. “Toothless basking sharks described as ‘terrifying that sharks are man-eating monsters. This is simply monsters’, sharks thousands of miles from the UK not true. This constant portrayal of sharks as the “I know sharks to be endlessly
IN SUPPORT described as ‘bound for British beaches’, beautiful bad guys is hindering shark conservation efforts. fascinating creatures that play a and endangered fish headlined as ‘brutal’ and We need the media to cover the ‘real’ shark news — crucial role in maintaining healthy ‘bloodthirsty’. The press knows that all of these that we are facing a shark extinction crisis. Without marine ecosystems. So I’d welcome things are untrue, but also knows a salacious story sharks, the balance of the entire ocean food web may any move by the media to fairly report sells. It’s time journalists also realised that these topple, creating a devastating effect. As an ocean sharks rather than default to tired and falsehoods are perpetrating a hatred of sharks that ambassador I am calling on the media to drop the inaccurate click bait captions.” justifies their boundless slaughter. They are complicit sensational headlines and report shark encounters in one of the greatest deliberate exterminations in accurately and fairly. The survival of sharks now our planet’s history.” depends on knowledge, understanding and respect.”
BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 13 SHARK REPORTING CHECKLIST On average newspapers feature Is the headline alarmist? Rewrite sharks Remember the odds a shark story every fortnight. Does the mere presence of a shark in Words like killer, prowling, monster, Ladders, toasters, chairs, icicles, power That’s 25 opportunities a year the sea warrant a killer headline? menacing and beast are used to tools, mosquitoes, crocodiles, hippos, describe rapists, paedophiles and cows and bees each kill far more to represent sharks accurately terrorists. Don’t lump sharks into the people than all the sharks in the world and fairly. Here’s our checklist for Avoid the cliché of same category. every year. Highlight the rarity of shark encounters. unbiased reporting. referencing JAWS Not all sharks are The 1975 film was about a fictional great Lead the world white shark. It wasn’t a documentary. great whites Forty-three years after the blockbuster The British press is revered the world hit cinemas it’s time to demonstrate Very few sharks have been linked over. Let’s demonstrate that talent with knowledge and understanding rather to human fatalities. Avoid illustrating accurate and fair reporting of shark than fear and loathing. stories about sharks with mouth-wide- encounters. open images of great whites. End the speculation Speculation isn’t the truth. Suggesting Killer shark? a killer shark is prowling our coastline Don’t assume a shark bite was an simply feeds the fear. attack. Most big sharks investigate potential prey with their teeth.
BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 14 CONTACT: GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 [email protected]