I have seen many posts about the up coming Discovery show about anacondas . I will not link to or mention it by name so as to not give it more free PR. Image is everything to the general public so the title turns me off right away. Having not seen the show and based on other Discovery shows I would believe that the show would be fear mongering . That said I will point out that many reptile people have filmed shows that were edited in such away as to make the person and animals look bad. Thats why I now refuse to be involved unless I have final edit and total control of content. We learned the hard way that producers and networks lie and do not care what image comes a crossed as long as the ratings are good. I will not watch the show and suggest that others not get their science and facts from TV. Getting back to image of the snakes often people will tease the snakes until they bite this is just as bad in the general publics eye as poorly titled shows. General public look at the snakes striking as aggression and that snakes are mean. The image we give the snakes sadly is what sticks in the mind of the public. So while turning off the Discovery channel also turn off web series and other media that support giving a bad image of snakes and their keepers. Kristen Wiley did a program on dealing with the media at the 2013 IHS in New Orleans. In that program she discuss what we have learned from dealing with the media and how to avoid those pit falls. Many people are to quick to except being involved with the media either for their own egos or because they believe that they can make a difference. Asking questions and getting everything in writing is the best method to protect yourself and the animals. I have in the past walked off a TV shoot when asked to go against my ethics. The truth is free handling and posting video / pictures on social media will do more harm to the reptile hobby then this Discovery show will do but not many people are signing petitions to stop you tube, instragram and Facebook from allowing these acts to be spread around. Even some of the hobby promoting sites regularly post pictures and videos of free handling but have gone crazy attacking this one show . Again I dont get my science from TV so never watch these type of programs and suggest that educating the media that these programs are bad starts by turning off the idiot box( name my dad called TV).
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:23:44 +0000
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