Wednesday, February 25, 2009

When the Media Hates Sharks

Recently an Australian special forces diver was attacked by a Bull shark in Sydney Harbor prompting a veritable media storm across the country.

As a general rule we do not cover shark attacks unless they are industry related or in the interests of exploring the media's relationship with sharks.

What got us about this event was The Daily Telegraph's efforts to capitalize on a simply horrific and rare shark attack that left diver Paul de Gelder without his leg.

This week The Daily Telegraphs Editors gratuitously hired a local fisherman to hunt down and catch a Bull shark for film crews and waiting cameras - all the while pondering out loud "if this was the shark" that attacked the diver.

Goodbye 2009 - Hello 1976.

Surely someone in Australia saw through this charade of media self flagellation and had something to say about this ill timed, ill conceived, and badly promoted shark fest?

Of all the misguided shark media we have seen this year - The Daily Telegraph takes this months prize. Congratulations.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

what about yesterdays frontpage with the surfer in bondi close to a shark