Stairs Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 (edited) British tabloid, The Sun, feature a rather poor and misquoted piece of journalism on N. attenboroughii today: British Scientists discover plant that eats rats I'm not sure how to feel about all this sudden press; in the face of unscrupulous collectors' habits, I don't think it'll do the wild population any favours, especially if the Philippine authorities are not quick to move to protect the species and its habitat. Time will tell. Alastair. Edited August 17, 2009 by Stairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 (edited) I'm surprised that such a prestigious publication would get the facts wrong This is the newspaper that gave us 'FREDDIE STARR ATE MY HAMSTER' as a front page headline story. Don't tell me that was factually incorrect too! Edited August 17, 2009 by mobile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyoliver Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 (edited) Its already happening I'm sorry to say. I've had an e-mail asking me if I know when they can get one. The Sun producing poor and misquoted journalism? Never!! They would not know the truth if it came up and bit them on the ....... (fill in your own endings). You've got to love the pic of the rat in the pitcher though! Edited August 17, 2009 by andyoliver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Any journalist using the word 'boffins' in a story needs shot... What a moron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stairs Posted August 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Well, I can take being called a boffin; being a botanist isn't über sexy ;) Anyway, I'll stop posting these updates; N. attenboroughii has featured in no less than 35 major publications today, which is crazy. The mass media machine at its worst, and all because it featured on the BBC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyoliver Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Well, I can take being called a boffin; being a botanist isn't über sexy ;)Anyway, I'll stop posting these updates; N. attenboroughii has featured in no less than 35 major publications today, which is crazy. The mass media machine at its worst, and all because it featured on the BBC. I'd take being called a boffin over some of the things I'm called at work some days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vraev Posted August 17, 2009 Report Share Posted August 17, 2009 Well guys....if you look at the bright side of things.... the false imagery will throw some ppl off. LOL! And...if it throws off the "poacher"....then thats all we are concerned about. I am sure Dear Sir David knows the plant named after him is not N. northiana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 Well, I can take being called a boffin; being a botanist isn't über sexy ;) You're very lucky to be able to call yourself a botanist Sorry for the outburst, I just really have a thing against journalists Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nhamata Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 why do he put a N. northiana as N. attenboroughii !! and have anyone any info on N. attenboroughii fedding on rats?? //Ludvig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted August 18, 2009 Report Share Posted August 18, 2009 why do he put a N. northiana as N. attenboroughii !!and have anyone any info on N. attenboroughii fedding on rats?? //Ludvig Ludvig, This newspaper is not known for its factual correctness. It has a tendency to exaggerate the facts (or make them up!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stairs Posted August 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2009 and have anyone any info on N. attenboroughii fedding on rats??//Ludvig Ludvig, This taxon does not feed on rats; we observed mainly jewel bugs and winged insects in its pitchers. Somewhere along the line, somebody must have said that it is large enough to eat a rat, and being prone to hyperbole, the papers ran with that sensationalist idea and made it "fact". It's rubbish; as with any species, a rodent could end up in the pitcher by accident, but rodents were few and far between on Mount Victoria - such an event would be the exception, rather than the rule. Cheers, Alastair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsivertsen Posted August 19, 2009 Report Share Posted August 19, 2009 Funny how wrong information travels better than an accurate one! Now, a NYC news entity is pushing that envelope with another twist! http://www.nydailynews.com/money/business_...rats_whole.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amori Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 (edited) I just wanted to point out something I noticed in the October issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine. They also displayed a photograph of N. northiana in the guise of N. attenboroughii, so I contacted their editor about it. He (Mr. B. Hoare) told me, and I quote, "We were supplied the image in question by the people who discovered the plant" Could this really be true? I was told any corrections will be printed on the letters page of the November Issue. Edited October 26, 2009 by Amori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsivertsen Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 I just wanted to point out something I noticed in the October issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine. They also displayed a photograph of N. northiana in the guise of N. attenboroughii, so I contacted their editor about it. He (Mr. B. Hoare) told me, and I quote, "We were supplied the image in question by the people who discovered the plant" Could this really be true? I was told any corrections will be printed on the letters page of the November Issue. Most likely, they were just given a generic link to their website homepage, and jumped at the photo of the N. northiana with a rodent in its mouth without searching out the correct page on that website for this new species. - Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.