Perspectives of the Human Animal Relationship conference. 3 - 4 October 2024.

Qualitative analysis is a common methodology for examining the media portrayal of sharks. Such research has highlighted how media outlets such as tabloid newspapers and infotainment organisations, commodify fear by perpetuating negative representations of sharks by wielding certain linguistic techniques. Despite the efforts of a growing body of individuals and institutions to change this harmful stereotype, it persists today. One notable advocate for change is Cristina Zenato, who, over three decades, has developed unconventional shark-human relationships, termed ‘shark-listening’, that disrupt and challenge the fear-based paradigm. A qualitative analysis of three UK newspapers was conducted over a one-month period in 2024. Additionally, a pilot study using snowball sampling recruited participants to re-headline three articles from their perspective, drawing on a reframing technique designed to engage readers interactively with the news. Borrowing from participatory research techniques, the results are analysed through anthrozoological, posthuman, and shark-listening lenses.  This approach reveals how results examined through these lenses challenge the media’s use of fear of sharks in news and entertainment discourse and can help reframe the portrayal of sharks.