Recently there was an incident in the Caribbean involving X-factor judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, her husband and a black tip reef shark.
What transpired is simple; the couple was snorkeling when they saw a shark and went back to shore.
That was it, they got out of the water. Yet if you look at how the media has portrayed the incident, you could think she somehow avoided the sharp teeth and bone crushing jaws of a crazed man eater.
The Daily Mail choose the shark attack angle:
Terrified Cheryl Fernandez-Versini narrowly escapes shark attack while snorkelling with husband Jean Bernard in the Caribbean
The Metro went a step further adding a photo of the judge imposed with a Great White Shark.
The London Evening Standard:
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini escapes shark attack while snorkeling with husband in Caribbean
The list goes on and on. It’s just ridiculous. I understand that it is a worded to make someone click on the story. However it spreads fear for an incident that did not even occur.
On the plus side at least the DM added this line to the article.
“While blacktip sharks are largely non-violent, they are said to prefer shallow waters often occupied by humans and have been known to bite waders – although injuries are not usually serious. Other larger sharks in Caribbean waters, however, have been known to kill swimmers and surfers.”
Not sure how much that helps as it was tucked at the end of the article.
The headlines grind my gears. Sharks are not human killing machines and seeing them in the water is not a shark attack.
On the other hand a dog growled at me the other day and looked really mean.
The Headline: Kmac escapes vicious dog attack.
Did I mention the dog was a 3 pound Chihuahua?
