Ocean Activists Give Discovery Execs an Earful about Shark Week

Photo courtesy The Lilac Breasted Roller, via Flickr

According to a recent press release that came across my desk, a group of ocean activists recently gave Discovery Channel executives an earful about the channel’s annual “Shark Week” ratings blitz. The activists, concerned about dwindling populations of these animals, pressed the company to revisit how they depict sharks and specifically objected to vocabulary, such as “man-eaters, monsters, mindless killing machines and other like terms.”

As you might imagine, I think these activists are right on target asking the corporate suits to change their language. It matters what the company calls these animals. After all, far more citizens will experience sharks through “Shark Week” than in person while snorkeling or scuba diving.

But what really caught my eye was this: Who do you think these activists were who managed to secure four hours on the schedule of some mighty busy corporate suits to harangue them about the words they use? Was it Greenpeace? Oceana? Oceans Conservancy? The Pew Oceans Commission? Seafood Watch? Any of the other high-profile groups that stand up for sharks and other cuddly critters?

Nope. It was The Shark Group, who describe themselves as “an International Internet discussion forum, whose members live on all continents.” That’s code for a plain old Google group. Group members, who hail from around the globe, got themselves sufficiently organized to put themselves on Discovery’s radar, and secure the commitment from its execs to review the groups proposals for a different flavor of programming. An impressive accomplishment.

If you’re inspired by The Shark Group’s example and want to start your own Google Group to organize your fellow citizens, I say go for it! I have a few tips for you in this report I released last year: A Network of Networks.

Congratulations, Shark Group! Go get ‘em.

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