UPDATE: 1/5/12 5:30AM – Due to reader pressure, the article has been changed – see below the Continue reading line.
The story about the hybrid sharks being a byproduct of climate change turns out to be an act of quote fabrication in some media outlets. This story by Dina Spector of the Business Insider, is a prime example of such quote fabrication:
After I showed the original press release contained not one mention of “global warming” or “climate change”, one of our readers decided to ask the researcher about this statement attributed to to Jessica Morgan in that Business Insider story:
According to lead researcher Jess Morgan, the hybridization might be a sign that the animals are adapting to rising temperature levels as a result of climate change.
Here’s the answer. Bolding mine.
I did the obvious thing this morning and emailed Jessica Morgan the following:
From: Dennis Kuzara [mailto:xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, 5 January 2012 1:04 AM
To: jessica morgan
Subject: Is this quote accurate?
Jessica
Dina Spector of the Business Insider,| Jan. 3, 2012, 3:09 PM, stated the following:
> The world’s first hybrid shark was discovered by scientists in waters off Australia’s east coast on Tuesday, reports Amy Coopes of the AFP.
>
> According to lead researcher Jess Morgan, the hybridization might be a sign that the animals are adapting to rising temperature levels as a result of climate change.
The press release made no mention of “climate change” or “global warming”. Is the quote in this news article that is attributed to Jess Morgan, (which I assume is Jessica Morgan) accurate?
Since sea surface temperatures have increased less than 0.45 degree C over the last 30 years, clarification of any known ties between shark interbreeding and climate change would be appreciated.
Thank you
Dennis Kuzara
And I received this reply:
On 1/4/2012 7:34 PM, Morgan, Jessica wrote:
Quote not correct – I have now stated numerous times that it is extremely unlikely that climate change caused the hybridization event – however, the hybrid-Australian blacktips are now being seen further south of their known range (Australain blacktips have a tropical distribution) in cooler waters suggesting that the hybrids may have a wider temperature tolerance than their parents (ie the hybrids may be better adapted to handle changing water temperatures). That long statement is being condensed and printed as your quote below.
Jess
==============================================================
Interestingly and refreshingly, Business Insider allows you to ask a question of the reporter, here’s a screencap of the footer allowing you to do just that:
You can click anywhere on the screencap (or the button) above to ask Dina that question. I’m sure we all want to know why. We look forward to hearing why the Business Insider makes up “scary” quotes from scientists where none actually exist.
According to her website at http://dinaspector.com:
Dina Spector graduated summa cum laude from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a B.S. in magazine journalism and a minor in geography.
A fine reference, and I’m sure she’ll have a good reason rooted in solid journalism that she’ll gladly share with us.
================================================================
UPDATE: The article has been significantly changed, both the headline and body of the text have been modified significantly, and the fabricated quote from researcher Jessica Morgan has been removed. See the screencap:
There’s no mention though of any correction on the story. http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-first-hybrid-shark–2012-1
And, even though researcher Jessica Morgan says:
I have now stated numerous times that it is extremely unlikely that climate change caused the hybridization event
They still have “climate change” in the headline.
No duty to the truth or scruples with these folks I guess.
==================================================
UPDATE2: I’ve heard back from the editor:
Here’s a story about your story, I’m sure you are already getting some questions
—
Henry Blodget
CEO/EIC, Business Insider
257 Park Avenue South, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10010
William McClenney says:
January 4, 2012 at 10:08 pm
“Question…..
Can I.Q.accurately be measured below zero?”
Yes, in our post modern day society you can solve any problem, especially in the world of models, on the form a + ib, where i^2 = -1. :p
I don’t have time to sift through comments. Please let us know, on a new thread, if she replies. Thanks.
In regard to BI’s feature of allowing one to ask a question of the reporter… When you do so, the site informs you that “This question will be published on the writer’s profile page for BI readers to see.” Wonderful. So I go to Miss Spector’s profile page (http://www.businessinsider.com/author/dina-spector), and the only two answered questions there are from August and involve some Barbie house story.
Richard says:
January 4, 2012 at 8:15 pm
She has a B.S. in magazine journalism. Does B.S. stand for what I think it stands for?
———————————————————————————-
Yes it does. Bachelor of Sharks.
eyesonu… I’d enjoy engaging with you on the east coast coyote issue. We have posses of them around here and they behave like wolves by hunting in packs and taking down many fully grown deer, bless their howling hearts. We have many deer, but fewer now. These eastern coyotes seem longer-legged and heftier than the western coyotes I’ve seen, those always solo and hunting nothing bigger than a rabbit, cat or small dog. My understanding is that the former east coast red wolf interbred with coyotes some many decades ago to produce the current animal, but I would like to know more.
Dina Spector may have a promising career with the National Enquirer if things don’t pan out at the Business Insider, eh?
Another hybrid story with a similar outcome – people can now mate with cars.
Mr. Al Gore
A well known bore
Set his gaze upon a Prius
When he began feeling amorous
Not knowing what was on tap
He removed the gas cap
In flurry of motion
Al Gore had a notion
The result was Algorious
With mileage so glorious
Though Al Gore is strange
The Algorius had range
Andrew30 says:
January 4, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Dina Spector is a reporter?
No.
She is a “warmoulist”.
(Journalist who promotes unfounded global warming).
TomT says:
January 4, 2012 at 6:23 pm
It looks like this maybe the black-tip of the iceberg.
—
Lettuce consider the implications of that statement.
The first sentence of the story raised some questions and red flags.
“The world’s first hybrid shark was discovered by scientists in waters off Austraiia’s east coast on Tuesday reports Amy Coopes of the AFP.”
Really? Which Tuesday?
Here is another news report dated 22 December 2011 from the University of Queensland that is apparently covering the same subject.
http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=24232
Some quotes from this account:
“Wild hybrids are usually hard to find, so detecting hybrids and their offspring is extraordinary,” Dr Ovenden said.
“To find 57 hybrids along 2000km of coastline is unprecedented.
“Hybridisation could enable the sharks to adapt to environmental change as the smaller Australian black tip currently favours tropical waters in the north.
“While the larger common black tip is more abundant in sub-tropical and temperate waters along the south-eastern Australian coastline.”
The Business Insider’s story, when compared with the UQ account of the research, seems to be almost a total fabrication.
If there are any remaining doubts as to what Business Insider is all about, check out this piece by their editor Henry Blodget. http://www.businessinsider.com/no-steve-jobs-did-not-create-jobs-by-inventing-the-iphone-2011-12
No serious, purported ‘Business’ magazine would write an article this misinformed and illogical.
Even after being questioned:
“I have now stated numerous times that it is extremely unlikely that climate change caused the hybridization event” vs “The World’s First Hybrid Shark Could Be A Sign Of Climate Change”
Welcome to the mainstream media, the first species soon to be extinct as a result of global warming 🙂
“Wonton factual misconstruction must be condemned in any journal.”
I’ll have the sweet-and-sour shark with a bowl of factual misconstruction soup… ::) (The word you seek is “wanton.”)
Oh, and “that’s where the money is” has nothing to do with John Dillinger–it was actually made up by a journalist (funny how these things come full circle, eh?) and originally attributed to Willie Sutton.
I met guy who told me about a shark and a duck, who were in a committed relationship. It might have been a joke but it’s sometimes difficult to know.
As the father of a twenty something daughter, I find the tragedy of this whole debacle not with the young women who appears to me as a young person wanting to make a difference, but with the mindless, unquestioning indoctrination our supposed institutions of higher education are forcing on our children. She is not the outcome of her own intellectual thought processes but the product of countless hours of subjective authoritism…a journalist trained not to question but to repeat…that is truly a sad statement of academia and education today.
From editor Henry Blodget’s Wikipedia entry:
His company, Merrill Lynch, was publicly encouraging people to buy stocks that Blodget knew were questionable. See his colorful e-mail remarks in the final column in the chart on this page.
Ms. Spector’s response to Dennis Kuzara’s direct question to her is now posted on her profile page at BI. Here’s her response:
Hey Dennis,
Thanks for your concern. The article has been edited to more clearly reflect that other researchers who were a part of the study are exploring climate change as one possible trigger for the hybridization, though scientists are still looking into what’s driving the interbreeding.
They have jumped a grenade, not shark.
who would buy a business magazine that made up information?
It would appear that journalism and climate science provide the most productive jobs for people with an extreme environmental agenda.
Both parent groups of the ‘Hybrid’ are species belonging to the ‘Requiem’ group of sharks. These are a closely related grouping of shark species. Common Blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus is specifically closely related to Carcharhinus tilstoni, the Australian Blacktip.
They’ve interbred like Grizzlies can breed with Polar Bears, or any of the several subspecies of North American Black bear can interbreed. Quelle suprise
The sharks in question weren’t that genetically different in the first place, so interbreeding should come as no surprise. To attribute such a trivial occurrence to the increasingly mythical man made climate change is truly ‘reaching’.
By the way, what is a BS? I’ve heard of B.Sc’s and BA’s but never the ‘BS’ classification.
Is this the same Henry Blodget who was banned from Wall Street in 2008 for fraud?!!!
http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2011/10/05/blodget-returns-to-wall-street/
Will a moderator please remove Dr. Morgan’s Email address from the posting. She may object SPAM as much as the rest of us
[Done. ~dbs]
Bob Shapiro says: January 5, 2012 at 8:30 am
Is this the same Henry Blodget who was banned from Wall Street in 2008 for fraud?!!!
—
Henry Blodget is co-founder, CEO and Editor-In Chief of Business Insider.
A former top-ranked Wall Street analyst, Henry is also the host of Yahoo Daily Ticker, a Yahoo Finance video show viewed by several million people a month
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/author/henry-blodget#ixzz1ibV5NpqA
—
Henry Blodget (born 1966) is an American former equity research analyst, currently banned from the securities industry, who was senior Internet analyst for CIBC Oppenheimer during the dot-com bubble and the head of the global Internet research team at Merrill Lynch. Blodget is now the editor and CEO of The Business Insider, a business news and analysis site, and a host of Yahoo Daily Ticker, a finance show on Yahoo.
…
In 2002, then New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, published Merrill Lynch e-mails in which Blodget gave assessments about stocks which conflicted with what was publicly published In 2003, he was charged with civil securities fraud by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He agreed to a permanent ban from the securities industry and paid a $2 million fine plus a $2 million disgorgement.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Blodget
—
Leopard and spots
Ahh, I see you were enjoying one of America’s practical jokes on the unsuspecting. “The Sun” is one of our many fictional tabloids who generally create a whole fantasy universe on which to report and who very rarely stumbles upon a real story which no one will believe because of its source. Subsequent to your reading, they were forced by a court ruling to add ‘a small-print disclaimer printed beneath the masthead has warned readers to “suspend belief for the sake of enjoyment.”‘ (Wikipedia)
I think every country I have visited has had some similar local inside joke that unwary tourists fall into, at least this one was mildly entertaining.