Media Guidelines

MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING SHARK ENCOUNTERS Introduction 3 CONTENTS Stop feeding the fear 4 Things to consider when reporting shark encounters 5 Avoid click bait 6 For the sake of life on earth, we need sharks 7 More deadly than sharks 8 A little knowledge is a dangerous thing 9 Threats to sharks 10 Shark facts 11 British sharks 12 About Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s successes 13 Celebrity supporters 14 Shark reporting checklist 15 2 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 every other a week. That’s 25 chances are killed every year, that’s roughly a year to make a difference to the fate two every second, and scientists of sharks and the future of the planet. predict key shark species could soon 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. that nearly half (46%) of all Brits think VOCAB sharks are more terrifying that spiders, snakes and rodents combined.’ And 64% would ‘prefer sharks not to exist’. Achieving public support for campaigns Campaign director to help save and protect a keystone Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation ” species that is relentlessly described as ‘menacing, man-eating, monster, killer and beast’ has become especially challenging. BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 3 People expect journalists to be truthful, accurate, objective and impartial when covering a story. But, it could be argued that modern reporting on STOP sharks doesn’t always 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 THE eight people a year die from shark encounters and only three shark species — the great white, the bull and the tiger — have been linked to multiple (double digit) human fatalities FEAR since records began in 1543. According to a nationwide To be clear, there has never been a fatality from an unprovoked shark survey, nearly 30 million attack in the UK. people living in Britain are terrified of sharks. But why? 4 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 5 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 help recognisable of all the sharks, the overuse of great white shark images to illustrate sell 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 6 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 overfishing could now wipe out key species in our lifetime. BITE-BACK MEDIA GUIDELINES 2018 CONTACT GRAHAM BUCKINGHAM 07810 454 266 7 MOSQUITOES 1,000,000 DEADLY OBJECTS (GLOBAL FIGURES) MORE SNAKES 50,000 TOASTERS 700 DOGS 25,000 BATH TUBS 300 DEADLY HIPPOPOTAMUSES 2,000 PEANUTS 120 CROCODILES 1,000 LADDERS 110 THAN ELEPHANTS 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 around the world. LIONS 70 BEARS 20 SHARKS 6 8 A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS At the end of 2017 nationwide NO SHARKS PLEASE, WE'RE BRITISH RESULTSA FROM A UKDANGEROUS SURVEY OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS SHARKS AND THE OCEANS | NOV THING 2017 research commissioned by 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 9 THREATS TO SHARKS INDUSTRIAL FISHING SHARK FIN SOUP SHARK PRODUCTS Overfishing is the single biggest threat Once only served to Chinese Emperors, While shark fin soup typically only to shark populations. The advent of shark fin soup is now regarded as appears on restaurant menus, shark modern fishing boats — capable of an overt demonstration of wealth meat is regularly sold by independent spending weeks at sea — coupled with and prestige. fishmongers across the country. sonar, satellite and fish-finders mean that sharks have nowhere left to hide. In a booming Asian economy, demand Products that contain shark range from for shark fin soup has reached record so-called health supplements, such The International Union for the levels. as cartilage capsules and liver oil, to Conservation of Nature recently cosmetics including sunscreen, lipsticks reported that 85% of the world’s Shark fins have cartilaginous strands and face creams, plus pet food and fish stocks are fully exploited or that run from the base to the tip. It’s trinkets like jaws and teeth. All these overexploited. Without intervention these noodles of cartilage that are products are contributing to the value the big fish, like sharks, will be the served in shark fin soup. Because shark of a dead shark. first to disappear. cartilage only adds texture, they are prepared in a broth made from fish The success of Bite-Back’s campaigns Sharks are often caught as by-catch by or chicken stock to add flavour. means that it’s no longer possible the swordfish and tuna fishing industry. to buy shark meat in any multiple While shark meat has a relatively low Five years ago there were 65 UK high street retailers. The charity also market value, shark fins (used as the restaurants serving shark fin soup. prompted the Wagamama restaurant title ingredient in shark fin soup) have Bite-Back’s campaign has helped chain to remove shark steak from become one of the most valuable prompt 82% of these restaurants to menus and successfully challenged seafood items on the planet. As a drop the controversial dish. Holland & Barrett to end the sale of result, fishermen will cut the valuable shark cartilage capsules nationwide. fins from sharks while still alive and throw the body overboard to die.

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