How sharks and shark - human interactions are reported in major Australian newspapers

Few phrases evoke more negative emotion, or generate more media coverage, than ‘shark attack’ despite the few deaths that have been attributed to shark bite. Typically, tabloids are considered to provide more sensational coverage than broadsheets. We investigated how sharks and shark–human interactions were portrayed in four major Australian newspapers during a period of a record number of shark attacks in Australian waters. There was strong focus on human risk from sharks, and over-reportage of negative aspects. Thirty incidents were recorded: two fatal, 20 injury, and eight ‘near-miss’. Of 309 ‘shark’ articles surveyed, 24% mentioned fatalities (65% occurred prior to the study, some decades earlier). Injury was reported in 40% of articles, and “near-miss” in 33% (89% related to an incident in South Africa involving an Australian surfing celebrity). The tabloid, Telegraph, published substantially more shark-related articles and photographs than other newspapers. There was otherwise no consistent pattern of difference between genre or newspapers

Comparison of survey methods to profile participants in emerging adventure recreation activities undertaken in wilderness

Growth in ‘adventure recreation’, typically practised in protected areas, is occurring. Canyoning (cf. canyoneering), is one such activity. In the Greater Blue Mountain World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), Australia, management was concerned that canyoning was causing environmental damage. However, there is a dearth of data, even on participation, because of the ‘composite’ nature of the activity, its recent emergence, and because adventure recreation is typically restricted to wilderness areas which renders visitor census problematic. Despite difficulties, management need to monitor such activities and a valid, reliable method of survey is required. For emerging forms of adventure recreation, identification of a representative sample is especially problematic. Often, members of enthusiasts’ club are surveyed because sampling this demographic provides for an efficient and cost effective survey method, and wide geographical coverage. However, the representativeness of club members of the targeted population is questionable and thus results may not translate to valid/reliable outcomes. Despite issues, we found no concurrent studies of adventure recreation that compared club versus on-site sampling. Although canyoning in the GBMWHA (Australia) involves thousands of visits annually, no canyoning-specific clubs exist. A composite sport, it requires no specific equipment/clothing, and there are no formal competitive Australian events. The land managers are, therefore, faced with the issue of monitoring participation in, and developing policies for this, and other adventure recreation activities undertaken in wilderness. To inform management’s survey methodology choice, we compared two survey approaches

Unintended de-marketing manages visitor demand in Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area

Kotler and Levy (1971, p.76) introduced the term ‘de-marketing’, defined as ‘that aspect of marketing that deals with discouraging customers in general or a certain class of customers in particular on either a temporary or permanent basis’. Subsequently, Groff (1998) interpreted the concept in the context of parks and recreation administration. Recently, Armstrong and Kern (2011) used the concept to underpin their investigation of visitor demand management within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), Australia. We supported the findings of these researchers, and offer additional examples of de-marketing in this protected area

Maintaining competitive tourism advantage with reference to the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

Business literature is replete with examples of industries that failed to adapt to emerging trends and lost competitive advantage (see Levitt, 1975 - historical examples). To maximise opportunities, industries must identify sources of competitive advantage, and adapt. Tourism (including recreation) is particularly vulnerable to a diversity of external forces that threaten competitiveness (climatic variability/change, residents’ attitudes, terrorism/crime). Australia’s main competitive tourism advantages are climate, natural environment, and wildlife. However, the basis of this advantage has been challenged. For example, the Blue Mountains, historically one of Australia’s best-known/popular tourist destinations has experienced a downturn in tourism and risks further decline. We use the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (GBMWHA), Australia to highlight some destination tourism marketing issues

Is it a bird, a plane, a guest speaker? No, it's Mr. Beare! Using hot-seating through puppetry to immerse students in marketing scenarios

‘Hot Seating’- where an actor in-role is questioned by an audience - and ‘Puppetry’- an inanimate object being ‘brought to life’ - are two educational drama techniques. In this exploratory study, final-year marketing students interviewed a corporate client, in the form of a lecturer-operated puppet. The simulated dramatic context was an open briefing where teams competed for the right to design and market an island resort for gay and lesbian consumers. Reflective diaries were analysed for student perceptions of learning. Interpretive findings suggest that students, using this technique gained: (1) practical skills in client relations, (2) exposure to professional responsibilities and consequences and; (3) experience in ‘learning by doing’. Findings offer marketing educators innovative, sustainable techniques for engaging students

News media portrayal of attributed stakeholder attitudes to shark management in Australia

Shark attacks have increased globally and are one of the most widely reported human-wildlife conflicts. Reflecting global trends, the number of recorded attacks has increased in Australian waters. Whether positively or negatively affected, stakeholders potentially often pressure authorities to mitigate economic and human risks when developing shark management policies. This article used discourse analysis to review how attitudes toward management approaches were attributed in Australian newspapers to a range of stakeholders. The most frequently attributed stakeholders were journalists and public office holders; victims, commercial operators, and scientists were least attributed. Although most measures were portrayed as supported by a majority of stakeholders, there was apparent misalignment between reported public and policymaker attitudes, especially regarding lethal control. Despite the ramifications (e.g., social, biological) of shark management and policymaking, reporting of science-informed facts and use of scientists to inform debate were low. Opportunities exist for increased engagement among scientists, journalists, and policymakers

Nature tourism trends in Australia with reference to the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area

Nature-based tourism has been viewed as a large and growing segment of the tourism market. Advocates of nature-based tourism argue its potential to generate income for biodiversity conservation and local economic benefit, while detractors fear a risk of ‘loving our parks to death’. Some recent studies have suggested that nature-based tourism may be declining on a per capita basis, especially in economically developed countries. Others have detected no such trend. Nature-based tourism is a key industry within Australia, based strongly on its unique scenery and biodiversity. We compared nature-based visitation and population growth during 1998-2012 for Australia overall and specifically for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area which is adjacent to the country’s largest conurbation of Greater Sydney. We found substantial declines in domestic per-capita visitation, both nationally and regionally. Because visitation provides the ‘political capital’ for parks to survive, strategies to encourage visitation should be a target for land managers. Since children foster environmentally responsible behaviour in adults, they should be part of the focus for developing diverse experiences that encourage park visitation

Crocodiles and grey nomads: a deadly combination?

Increasing numbers of retirees seek individual, extended, unstructured activities in remote, non-commercial locations. Travel is predominantly by self-drive 4WD vehicle towing a caravan/campervan. These ‘grey nomads’ often prefer remote bush camping sites/caravan parks to commercial resorts. The tropics – a popular destination – are inhabited by Australia’s only large semi-terrestrial carnivore, the estuarine crocodile Crocodylus porosus. Conservation programmes of recent decades have resulted in a substantial increase in numbers. With naive grey nomads increasingly encroaching on crocodile territory, attacks are expected to increase. Review of conservation programmes to incorporate awareness education targeting grey nomads is therefore required

Oral Levosimendan in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a phase II multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral levosimendan in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. This phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, 3-period study with 6 months open-label follow-up enrolled adults with ALS and sitting slow vital capacity (SVC) 60-90% of predicted from 11 sites in four countries. Methods Patients received levosimendan 1 mg daily, 1 mg bd or placebo during three 14-day crossover periods, and levosimendan 1-2 mg daily during open-label follow-up. Primary endpoint was sitting SVC; secondary endpoints included supine SVC, ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R), tolerability and safety. Results Of 66 patients randomised, 59 contributed to the double-blind results and 50 entered open-label follow-up. Sitting SVC was not significantly different between the treatments. In post hoc analysis using period-wise baselines, supine SVC favoured levosimendan over placebo, estimated mean differences from baseline being -3.62% on placebo, +0.77% on levosimendan 1 mg daily (p=0.018) and +2.38% on 1 mg bd (p=0.001). Headache occurred in 16.7% of patients during levosimendan 1 mg daily (p=0.030), 28.6% during 1 mg bd (p=0.002) and 3.3% during placebo. The respective frequencies for increased heart rate were 5.1% (p=0.337), 18.5% (p=0.018) and 1.7%. No significant differences between the treatments were seen for other adverse events. Conclusions Levosimendan did not achieve the primary endpoint of improving sitting SVC in ALS. Headache and increased heart rate were increased on levosimendan, although it was otherwise well tolerated. A phase 3 study to evaluate the longer-term effects of oral levosimendan in ALS is ongoing