Reef Reporting: Deceit
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has become a major topic amongst reporters due to the abundant coral bleaching problems resulting primarily from climate change, crown-of-thorns starfish and cyclones. Many people are saddened by what is occurring in the reef and turn to the media for new information regarding the GBR. As a result, many reporters have adopted a tone of optimism when reporting about the GBR. Reassurance, beautiful images of blossoming growth and positivity are all common in reports about the GBR, but behind all these
guises is a reef that is still struggling. Something I have found in abundance amongst these reports are interviews of tourism businesses for the GBR. They discuss how the reef is thriving and every location that they bring customers is beautiful and full of gorgeous flora and fauna. This may be true, as they reserve the best parts of the decaying reef for their paying customers, but that doesn’t mean that over half the reef is no longer dead. The information these businessmen are sharing is not only false, but a desperate attempt to increase the numbers of tourists coming to the GBR. While there is a slight chance that the number of tourists visiting the GBR will increase as a result of their interviews, there is a far greater chance that sharing that the reef is doing well will kill their business in the long run. With increased publicity boasting a restored reef that is in great health comes a decrease in awareness of the actuality of the situation, leading the public to lose the sense of urgency to restore the reef as it is heavily needed. As reporters it is our job to educate
the public on what is happening in the world, at the same time making the world a better place instead of providing false information such as this.
The optimistic approach used by reporters may seem like a good thing at first, but when reporters use titles such as “Great Barrier Reef showing signs of recovery” and “Alive and Kicking: Why It's Time to Cross the Great Barrier Reef off Your Bucket List” the GBR is falsely represented and loses the type of publicity that it needs. However, optimism does not have to be eliminated from these
types of reports. It is okay for a reporter to promote the tourism industry, sharing how there are still sections of the reef that are currently healthy and worth visiting. In fact, sharing that the reef may not be around for long, but still is gorgeous, may even promote tourism, more than simply stating that it is fully healthy, by creating a sense of urgency in the readers. Along with smaller amounts of optimism, something that is necessary when talking about the GBR is that it needs help. By spreading the news about the dying coral reef people will be able to learn the reality of the situation without negatively impacting the tourism industry.
Overall the journalism surrounding the GBR is very ineffective. The optimistic approach toward something that is far from positive demonstrates just one of the ways that this journalism is negative. Along with that, a great problem among the people reporting on the GBR is a lack of education concerning the topic. Reports that falsely claim that the GBR is thriving show a lack of knowledge and should not be published to misinform readers. Since many people rely on reports such as these to educate themselves on topics such as the GBR, it impacts the reef very negatively. Along with that, another problem, coupled with the interviews with tourist companies, is the lack of recognition in biases of the interviewees. Reporters that are educated on the ongoing issues of the reef should be able to recognize that the things being said by the tourism companies are a cry for increased business that will ultimately hurt, not only them, but the reef as well.
Ultimately, journalists themselves are contributing to the death of the coral that they are falsely reporting on. A lack of education when reporting about something so fragile is very dangerous and being educated helps reporters find the most reasonable reporting style. Optimism is far from beneficial to the reef, though, on the opposite end, pessimism is unnecessary as well. The most important thing for reporters to recognize is that the GBR is dying and needs assistance in any way possible. Reports on the reef should recognize the reality of the situation and present it in a way that keeps the reader free from being misinformed, yet intrigued in the reef, while also refraining from hurting the businesses that are centered around the health of the reef. The reef itself is very similar to journalism, in that each are very fragile and need to be handled in particular ways to keep everything functioning correctly. Articles that feed readers false information can be just as detrimental as the reef being fed runoff and oil. The reef should be helped by reports, guiding the public to understand and aid in the restoration of the reef, and strangely enough, optimism is not the way to get the most positive outcome.