You are here: 
Media more concerned about rave party arrests than species extinction, finds Newswatch study
Date: October 30, 2008 Author: Newswatch Desk
Research: Contentious
Research: Contentious
Every time the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announces its Red List of Threatened Species, the event is awaited with bated breath by wildlife conservationists worldwide. So it was even this year, given the fact that the situation seems to worsen with every passing year. The current species extinction rate, according to IUCN, is estimated to be anything between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural or ‘background’ rate.
The 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species was released at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona on October 6, 2008. The new study to assess the world’s mammals showed that 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction. In all, 76 mammals have become extinct since 1500. But the results also showed that conservation can bring species back from the brink of extinction, with 5 per cent of currently threatened mammals showing signs of recovery in the wild. This was a good occasion to assess how much importance the news media accords to the issue of species extinction.
This Newswatch study tracked the news about the IUCN Red List over a three-week period: October 6 to October 26. News items were monitored both through news aggregators like Google News and Yahoo News as well as through websites of individual news outlets. Stories of newspapers were tracked primarily through their websites. The epaper version of a paper, if available, was also checked. The Web renditions were checked both for reasons of convenience, as well as the empirical evidence that there is rarely any difference between the version printed in the paper and the one published online. Websites of television news channels had to be tracked more for the lack of wherewithal to track live news bulletins. In all, 83 news establishments were tracked for the study.
ABOUT THE REPORT
Extinction of concern: How the media failed to contextualise the IUCN Red List announcement Edited and published by Subir Ghosh for Newswatch. © Newswatch 2008. Note: Even though efforts have been made to provide accurate information in this report, the publisher would appreciate if readers call his attention to errors by emailing newswatchindia@gmail.com. Suggestions for future study subjects can be sent to the same email address.
REPORT SPECIFICATIONS
Pages: 4
Format: PDF
Colour: All-colour
Price: Free
Size: 273 KB
[For download link, please scroll down.]
Format: PDF
Colour: All-colour
Price: Free
Size: 273 KB
[For download link, please scroll down.]
The researchers were able to find only 43 relevant stories from 23 news outlets during the three-week period. This might come as a shock to conservationists, given the fact that arrest of 230-odd people at a rave party in Mumbai (which happened on the same day, October 6) generated 93 stories in the first two days of the incident alone.
The subject of the study had two triggers — the first, obviously, was the IUCN Red List release. The second was a press release issued by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) on October 22 about downgrading of the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’. With the latter triggering eight stories, it meant that the Red List release generated 35 news items in all.
All the stories spotted in Indian news outlets were filed by three international news agencies — Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Associated Press (AP), and Reuters. There were 12 such stories There were also some news outlets which republished syndicated stories from foreign newspapers — four in all. There were 13 spin-off stories (all filed by news agencies) as well.
There were only three distinct news items which could be seen as India-centric stories by Indian news outlets. The Press Trust of India (PTI) story about 49 mammals facing grave threats of extinction was carried by three news outlets. The Hindu (republished by Zee News) and the Assam Tribune published localised stories. So, there were six items in all. Among the spin-off stories was one from Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) which mentioned the Rameshwaram parachute spider being assessed for the first time and listed as Critically Endangered. The story itself was not about the arachnid itself. On the other hand, PTI released a story about the scene of mammals in Australia which was published by two news outlets. The Indian angle, by and large, remained off the news beat.
The WTI statement expressing shock at the downgrading of the greater one-horned rhinoceros in the Red List was released by news agency Indo-Asian News Service (IANS). The story was carried by seven outlets. Only the Telegraph carried its own version of the issue describing it as good news for the animal.
PROJECT CREDITS: Study supervisor: Subir Ghosh; Research assistant: Priyanka Mittal
To download the report, click on the link below.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| iucn.pdf | 273.49 KB |
RATE THIS ITEMTOOLS:
Mumbai terror attacks coverage was extensive but theatrical, DD News was least sensational
Shortly after it dawned on all and sundry that what was initially thought of as only a gang war, was in fact a concerted attack by terrorists on the night of November 26, 2008, all eyes of the nation, and the world, were trained on Mumbai. The coverage of the attacks was to become a watershed in India’s television history. But hardly had the first night wore on, signs of criticism of the coverage began surfacing. Over Facebook status messages, through SMSs, and subsequently through blogs and other outlets. Even as National Security Guard (NSG) commandos fought a pitched battle with the terrorists, and television cameras and journalists kept viewers updated all through, coverage itself became news. For all the wrong reasons, one might argue.
Like tigers, good news coverage too these days is a rare sight
In early 2005, wildlife officials in the Sariska Tiger Reserve discovered that poachers had wiped out the entire tiger population in the protected area. Once the lid was blown off, the tiger remained in the media limelight. Through the constitution of the Tiger Task Force to the launching of its controversial report on the status of tigers in the country, the big cat kept making headlines.
Sariska had been the tip of the proverbial iceberg; but the actual aggregate of tigers in the wild in India degenerated into being a guessing game for all and sundry. As mudslinging went on between the so-called wildlife elite and their neophyte critics, there were conservationists who waited with bated breath for the real numbers to come out.
This did eventually. On February 12, 2008, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) announced in New Delhi that just 1,411 adult tigers remained in the wild in India. It was official, it was big news. Or so it ought to have been.
The media added a communal colour to the October Assam clashes
Early October came the news that ethnic clashes had broken out in Assam. The two groups in question were the indigenous Bodos and Bangladeshi migrants. Sectarian violence in Northeast does not always make it to the front page of newspapers. But this one did — coming as it was in the backdrop of the attacks on Christians by Hindu rightwing elements in Karnataka and Orissa, and a palpable sense of Islamophobia that seemed to be all-pervading in the aftermath of the serial blasts in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and New Delhi.
Most media oulets threw ethics to the winds by naming the Orissa rape victim
After two months of silence, the nun who was raped and paraded naked by a frenetic mob of Hindu rightwingers in Kandhamal in Orissa, chose to speak about her horrifying experience at a press conference in New Delhi on October 24, 2008. She narrated her ordeal, and issued a signed statement. Many news outlets reported the heart-wrenching tale. But there were others who threw elementary media ethics to the winds and went overboard—they named the victim. Though two-thirds of the news stories that were tracked by Newswatch desisted from identifying the nun by name, a substantial one-thirds did.
If this proportion was not alarming enough, when the researchers narrowed down the number of news items tracked for the study to distinct and original stories, it was found that slightly more than half of the news establishments which reported reported the press conference were guilty of naming the victim.
Media covers accused more than victims in high-profile cases, finds Newswatch study
The last few years have seen a number of high-profile cases in Indian courts wherein the rich and mighty have been held guilty and sentenced to prison. The news media, in many cases, has been accused of conducting its own shadow trials. The news media coverage these court cases have derived has been phenomenal. This year saw Delhi courts passing verdicts in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder and BMW hit-and-run cases.
Since when were We Indians concerned about Animals or their Welfare? I am an Animal Lover, be it whatever, I feel sad/disgusted when people kill Dogs/cats as if they are game and its no Wonder that we Dont care about endangered Species. My Dream is to start an Animal Shelter where all kinds of animals living on the streets can be brought and cared for. Its a lofty Idea, But I plan to Work on it and Hopefully Realise it in the near future.
Till then all of us, just think, these Animals, they cant speak, they cant express, why hurt them? Dont be kind to them, Dont Feed them, But Please Dont Harm them. Its the least all of us can do.
rave parties too lead to the extinction of species in course of time -- the human species
are we done we done with humans??? i didn't know humans are not getting killed anymore; every one is treated well, fed well and have shelter and clothes.. seems like i missed something!!
Sunita, you ARE angry... i share that concern
whats there to be angry of? There has been suffering all around us since we all evolved and there will till we are all here. Being angry doesnt do any good, help others in need in whatever way u can.
Dear Ahmed
I just "presumed" Sunita might be angry... maybe she is not!
I AM angry especially because in my homestate Assam today there has been serial bomb blasts, right next to where my 70-year-old parents live... before that in Tripura, in Imphal, in Delhi where I have dear ones. Scores of people have died.
I'm pretty much still learning about wildlife species extinction, although i do my bit helping in the local SPCA chapter (mostly cats and dogs) and sometimes volunteer in a local farm that shelters abused animals. Can't say I'm doing a lot, but something...
Anyway, you see, what I was sharing with Sunita was a moment of frustration and anger!
Bombs, I have become Immune to these acts of violence happening in our country. Our Politicians be it ruling or opposition only talk. What we should do, My Game plan is Bomb the bloody terrorist trading camps operating out of our Neighbors border. Bomb the F*ck out come what may. I am sure they cant and wont do anything. Look, US is raping their Territorial Interrity every single day. They cant do anything. WE CAN. But sadly it wont happen Until some really Patriotic Person or a Iron Willed Lady like Indira Gandhi assumes Power. Bangladesh, If they F*ckin send in terrorist through our borders, Lets bomb them atleast. What we created, we have the right to pluck.
Now I am not angry, these are my opinions. And you are doing a good job Nabina, but sadly I feel Women are more sympathetic to animals, while Men dont care. They should be brought into the fold.
with good men like Subir and you, that day may not be far away Ahmed... though I don;t know about women being more sympathetic to animals. Need a survey there.
btw, you seem of an angrier disposition than I am, ha ha. Just kidding! have a nice night/day.
Thanks, Subir is Indias answer to Robert Fisk, if only he was fierier!!!! I am just a common man, Hope I dont blow my lid and do what Naserudin Shah did in A Wednesday!!! hahaha
agree Subir,media has lop-sided priorities,if at all they do have priorities,that is.
yes i am angry! thanks for sharing concern.
this is getting neater by the day..great going!