Derek and Ecolog:
I quite agree with Pursell. I shall cite Richard Feynman again as a example
of a scientist who never obfuscated or dissembled. I also agree that "stamps
of approval" run the risk of becoming just another advertising gimmick, like
"eco-" this and "eco-" that. But notice that I suggested that if individual
consulting scientists' names had to be associated with productions and
incorporated into the "seal," that would go a long way toward keeping them,
at least, honest. We don't need any more biostitutes. All this is is and
idea, one for y'all to BUILD on.
I would suggest that REAL nature is sexier than the inane fantasies that
incompetents come up with. I'm just saying, don't be the dog they wag. And
I'm not saying that every "nature" or "science" production is a POS, only
that this appears to be a definite trend that will take action to correct.
There's a bunch of power-mad coke-heads in the media biz, and there's no
reason that Dumbdown TV needs to be tolerated. Some first-person stories
about how the good ones handle the pressure to screw up a sound message
would be useful, as would a study of the facts of the phenomenon. I'm
frankly dealing from my gut based on personal experience; admittedly, that
may be an inadequate sample, however real. I'd like to see a disciplined
study of the phenomenon.
WT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Derek Pursell" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2010 1:35 AM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fwd: CALL TO ACTION - Discovery Channel teaches
viewers how to kill bats.
Wayne has a good idea here. Having some sort of organization that can vet
educational programming for scientific accuracy and authenticity would help
greatly to increase the quality and educational value of such programming. I
think the core problem is that these organizations like Discovery, History,
etc. are run by non-scientists who try to make history "sexy" by
embellishing, exaggerating, or even omitting details. The fact it's only
gotten worse over the years is an indication of the priorities of the people
running these organizations, where ratings over-rule everything else. As for
a "stamp of approval", while an initially sound idea, stamps of approval can
quickly and efficiently be made meaningless, as we all know with the way the
"organic" or "green" label is used in the United States.
The question that comes to my mind, then, is what is the best way of going
about improving the accuracy and authenticity of this educational
programming -without- reducing its appeal to viewers? Considering their
demographics, couching everything in technical scientific jargon and using
only historical texts and evidence as images would unquestionably hurt
ratings. It seems a fine balance, one that could be best accomplished if
writers, advertisers, and scientists came together to create an intelligent,
educational, and entertaining programming.
- Derek E. Pursell
--- On Thu, 5/27/10, Wayne Tyson <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Wayne Tyson <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Fwd: CALL TO ACTION - Discovery Channel teaches
viewers how to kill bats.
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 8:34 PM
Ecolog:
Thanks Malcolm!
Grrrrr! My wife was one of their early victims, cutting footage of her into
what she was led to believe was a scientifically responsible piece; worse,
they keep airing it even though it's several years old now. And I actually
shot some professional video footage for them, for which I got zero for
payment--in retrospect, I should have been fined for stupidity. As to one
particular zeal-idiot, he actually started out reasonably well, then went
down the toilet, but he keeps popping up with more and more
mental-fecal-matter.
I hope there will be zero teachers using any "Discovery" material from now
on--as if most haven't already banned it from classrooms other than to use
it as an example of junk science. This is not to say that everything
produced is necessarily junk science, but if the front office doesn't really
feel it, nothing will change--I don't know how they could make it much
worse, but they ain't on top of the heap for nuthin'. My weapon of choice in
the past has been Op-Eds (effective enough to get my contract with a major
NGO cancelled), and I would strongly urge Fascione to do that and keep on
hammering them every way she can. She needs to form a conservation
coalition, and hammer this whole flim-flammery cannery down below oblivion
where it belongs.
There are some writers right here on Ecolog who could do that as well, one
of which I think has a blog on Discovery-something, but we should ask all
science writers on Ecolog to weigh in on this one. Yes, it's HIGH TIME
educated and honest people started raising some hell about the
pseudo-science that infests so-called "educational" TV on several channels.
I call it "Dumb-Down TV."
Maybe we should start a monitoring and evaluation program that rates TV and
other media products and perhaps developing an advisory service to work with
those willing--a "Good-Naturekeeping Seal" of approval? All very
good-natured, of course! And, of course, the advisors will be peer-reviewed
post-production and laughed out of town by their peers if they sell out.
Then scientists, teachers, and millions of other "right-thinking" citizens
of the world could be a cheering section for such programs, thus giving them
the eyeballs they want. Some bozos seem to think that they can raise ratings
by feeding their fellow bozos more bozonium, but if the Head Office gets the
drift that they are LOSING ratings, maybe they'll "get religion."
In any case, don't help these bozovillians assume the cloak of scientific
respectability around their naked disrespect for the truth any longer.
Sheesh! And I thought Steve was going to far!
WT
PS: I have come to distrust just about all such "programming," even some of
that coming from once-reliable outfits, because I have increasingly found so
much drivel cloaked in science. As in my wife's experience, I suspect that
most of the scientists who appear on these abominable abominations are
unaware of how the footage of them will be used. They should take great care
to examine any paperwork carefully, and to insert language that opens the
producers, their heirs, successors in interest, and assigns--and every other
deep and shallow pocket that participates in such chicanery to being sued,
black and blued, and tattooed with the mark of bozo and banished to
Sillygan's Island (somewhere in the vicinity of Atlantis) with a half hour
of their own hot air to breathe. And get someone who can put it into the
strongest possible terms. And oh, yes--I almost forgot. Write SPONSORS! And
organizations (Union of Concerned Scientists?), asking them to put their
oar into the water.
----- Original Message ----- From: "malcolm McCallum"
<[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 12:12 PM
Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Fwd: CALL TO ACTION - Discovery Channel teaches viewers
how to kill bats.
THis is not the first time that Bear Grylls has been the subject of such
things (biting in half live snakes for example!). However, below is a post
from Bat Conseration international that many of you may want to address.
IT is time for these shows to demonstrate environmental responsibility and
cease their sensationalism posed as education. Discovery and other
likewise
mannered "educational" television is damaging its credibility day by day,
but the recent episode outlined below is the epitome of ignorance.
Malcolm
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bat Conservation International <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, May 27, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Subject: CALL TO ACTION - Discovery Channel teaches viewers how to kill
bats.
To: "malcolm.mccallum.tamut" <[email protected]>
<https://www.batcon.org/>
A recent episode of Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild featured Bear Grylls
gleefully killing bats with a homemade club. The clip, which shows Grylls
throwing a flame in a cave to "smoke out" the bats, swatting them to the
ground and then stomping on them, has aired internationally and been
posted
on YouTube, allowing for continued access.
Though we understand the show is about survival, we feel that this clip
perpetuates negative attitudes toward bats and could generate senseless
copycat activity and/or the type of vandalism that is driving many bat
species to the brink of extinction. Only four months ago, a Kentucky man
was
sentenced to eight months in jail after pleading guilty to beating to
death
105 endangered Indiana bats.
Please express your disappointment at this anti-conservation message by
filling out the feedback <http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations>
form
on Discovery Communications website. Let the Discovery executives know:
- This episode undermines decades of bat conservation efforts
- Bats are an important part of a healthy ecosystem. They eat
agricultural pests, disperse seeds to replenish the rainforest and
pollinate
a variety of plants. Many bats are endangered and the loss of a single
species can have ramifications throughout the ecosystem.
- Viewers should be informed that killing bats-or even disturbing
them-may be illegal depending on the species and country.
- We would like Discovery Channel to ensure this edition of Born Survivor
and related footage is not aired again and that this
footage<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSY9bTdwI4>is removed from
Youtube, the Discovery Channel website and all other
communications
- We hope Discovery Channel uses all its nature programming to forward
conservation efforts.
Best regards,
Nina Fascione
Executive Director
Bat Conservation International
P.S. Help spread the word. Forward this to a friend.
If you do not wish to receive emails from BCI click
here<[email protected]?subject=please+remove+me+from+your+mailing+list>
-- Malcolm L. McCallum
Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology
1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert
1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
and pollution.
2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.
2022: Soylent Green is People!
Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any
attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may
contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized
review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not
the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and
destroy all copies of the original message.
-- Malcolm L. McCallum
Managing Editor,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology
1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert
1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss,
and pollution.
2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction
MAY help restore populations.
2022: Soylent Green is People!
Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any
attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may
contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized
review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not
the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and
destroy all copies of the original message.
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