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REPRESENTATION OF ANIMALS BY THE MEDIA IN THE LAST TEN YEARS
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Representation of Animals by the Media in the Last Ten Years
Research has revealed that non-human animals are emotional and smart beings that are conscious of what happens to them. The language that human beings use to refer to non-human animals inform and mold the thoughts and perceptions of the humans towards the animals. These thoughts and perceptions in turn determine human’s actions towards the animals. Unfortunately, human beings have not been ethically responsible while dealing with animals and they have largely failed to be voice for other animals. However, unlike the past, animals have gradually made their way into the media. Today, it is common to see the cognitive and emotional lives of animals being portrayed in commercials in newspapers, magazines, and television. However, despite the recognition of their presence by the various forms of media and there being guidelines and principles depicting that non-human animals should be treated fairly and respectfully, animals are frequently misrepresented (Bekoff 2014). They are at times portrayed as objects and evil creatures. Non-human animals are also frequently referred using the pronoun ‘it’ and other names such as meat or game. Referring to non-human animals by their utilitarian end such as laboratory rats, dairy cattle, or circus elephants is also misrepresentative. In some extreme cases, the suffering of animals has been portrayed as some means of entertainment. This misrepresentation and inaccurate portrayal of animals can be injurious. Misrepresentation also leads to lower animals being treated more unfairly as compared to the higher animals. For instance, in a study to prove that ants have the ability to count the steps they make, they had their legs cut off (Bekoff, 2010). Such an experiment could probably not have been carried out on higher animal such as chimpanzees. To improve the representation of animals in the media, attention should be paid to their emotional, cognitive, and moral capabilities. They should also be represented as the beings that they are and not in a way that suits human interpretation (Bekoff, 2010). Though animals are increasingly finding their way into the media, their use to symbolize certain aspects during manmade and natural disasters is still minimal. Traditionally, animals were not considered to possess the traits and relatability required to raise awareness and funds during disasters. However, Sam the Koala completely changed this perception during the 2009 Victorian bush fires (Due et al. 2014, p. 51).
In a world that is facing ecological crisis, large scale exploitation of animals as well as the risk of mass extinction of various species, positive representation by the media is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Disasters such as floods, droughts, fires, and volcanic eruptions adversely affect both human and non-human animals. However, despite the consequences being equal across these beings, humans are usually used as the face of these disasters. It therefore came as a good surprise when a non-human animal become the face of a disaster in Australia. The Victorian bushfires in Australia in the year 2009 are among the worst natural disasters to ever hit the continent. It claimed 173 lives and injured a further 414 people. The damage and recovery costs are estimated to be in the excess of $4 billion. Various images from the disaster circulated internationally. However, the most famous of them all was that of Sam the Koala (Due et al. 2014, p. 45).
As firefighters strived to fight the bushfire, one of them came across a living koala in a burnt scrubland, and from his water bottle, he offered her a drink. His colleagues captured the moment as the koala thirstily drank three bottles of water, with her paw resting on the fireman’s hand. So strong was this moment that the image was published in the Herald Sun on February 10, 2010. When the footage was uploaded on YouTube, it quickly garnered over 1 million views. It became an international sensation. Stories about Sam the Koala were also ran by foreign media outlets in England and the United States. As Sam’s coverage spread internationally, different people in the world were provided with an understanding of the effects of the disaster. Moreover, the human-animal interaction depicted by the footage became a tool for raising funds in aid of the Australians affected by the bushfire. Sale of the iconic image raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the County Fire Authority. Sam the Koala offers a perfect case study to help understand how she was represented by the media during the disaster, and the achievements that these representations attained. The case can also help explain how non-human animals can be used to support various causes just as Sam the Koala was used to raise awareness and funds for the victims of the disaster. In a 2009 article looking into the case of Sam the Koala, the authors sought to examine Sam in the context of disaster images and their contribution to raising awareness and funds during disasters (Due et al. 2014, p. 45). Moreover, the study sought to focus on Sam as an animal instead of a human and provide a thematic analysis of the various ways in which Sam is represented by the media. The questions of the study emerged from both an intellectual and social context. Intellectually, the role that non-human animals can play during disasters is minimally studied and hence, the study sought to shed light in a gray area. Socially, the study bridged the gaps between human and animal interactions and showed how each of the beings can give and receive compassion from each other.
Mass media has enabled the instantaneous transfer of information and hence, disasters are no longer localized. They are experienced both nationally and internationally too. Coverage of disasters by the media has become a central part of raising funds for the victims. Various images are used to drive this cause. However, use of images showing the suffering of other people without necessarily helping them such as in disaster photography has raised various ethical questions. This led to the differentiation of the images into positive and negative. Positive images are those that depict the relief efforts while the negative images capture the disaster itself. However, research has shown that negative images are more successful in obtaining aid since positive images make people think that their efforts and donations are no longer needed. However, the image of Sam drinking from the fireman’s bottle completely shifts the focus from the dichotomy of positive and negative images. The image shows that for imagery to be effective in raising awareness and funds during disasters, it must be identifiable and relatable to the audience. What makes Sam’s case better is that though she was not readily identifiable with the other victims of the disaster, she belonged to a different species, she symbolized human vulnerability and succeeded in raising funds for all the victims.
The authors searched the mainstream media outlets in Australia to examine how Sam the Koala was represented by the media, and how she might not have been taken as an identifiable victim. A total of 93 articles for the period between the start of 2009 and September of 2011 were analyzed (Due et al. 2014, p. 46). A thematic analytic approach was employed to identify main themes in the representation of Sam the Koala. Following the thematic analysis of the articles, five representations of Sam the Koala were identified. Each of them contributed to the popularity of the image and its success in raising awareness and funds. Just like in any other qualitative research, the lack of definitive guidelines on sampling posed a challenge to the research. This challenge results in the consumption of a lot of time going through the huge amount of data. A thematic analysis approach is usually consistent and thorough and hence, was chosen for the research. The method also allows flexibility and engagement among the researchers.
Traditionally, an image like Sam’s would be seen as a negative image that depicted despair. However, in this particular situation, Sam the Koala was widely seen as a symbol of hope. This symbolic representation connected with the audience at an emotional level. Instead of giving a face of despair, the image of a koala drinking from a firefighter’s bottle represented hope. The action of the two beings represents hope, the fireman giving water to the koala, and the koala receiving water from the fireman. It gave hope to other victims of the disaster. By providing a link to the losses humans experienced in the disaster, Sam the Koala was an identifiable representation.
Sam was also represented as a survivor. The fireman who shared the famous photo with her described Sam as a battler and a survivor who was not afraid to trust a human for help. This aspect of being a survivor helped the audience relate to her and with the disaster in extension. National characters in Australia have traditionally been depicted as people who show great strength during adversity. Koala are iconic Australian animals. Sam therefore came across as an Aussie. She represented the ability of Australia and Australians to come out of fires strong. Owing to this, Sam had become part of the national identity. Australians were therefore in a position to directly relate to the disaster. The rest of the world could also relate to Australia, leading to a successful international awareness and aid.
Sam the Koala also came out as vulnerable, which represe...