Have Wildlife Documentaries Gone Too Far? And Does it Matter?
27th May 2021
From Meerkat Manor to Dynasties, big nature documentaries seem to be more Lion King than Life on Earth these days. Has turning animals’ lives into soap operas, giving them names, and relating their lives to ours gone too far?
Recently, a group of academics argued that not only does such an approach misinform the public, it may also harm conservation in the long run. But are they right? After all, TV must entertain and engage as well as inform and educate.
In this panel event, taking place at 1pm on Monday 28 June, a group of wildlife and broadcast experts will discuss the structure and role of wildlife documentaries in modern broadcasting and conservation.
The Panel
- Chaired by Adam Hart, Professor of Science Communication at the University of Gloucestershire
- Professor Keith Somerville, Senior Research Fellow at the University of London
- Dr Amy Dickman, Conservation Biologist at the University of Oxford
- Paul Wooding, Producer and Director
- George Verdon, Assistant Producer
- Lina Kabbadj, Film Maker
Booking is free and everyone is welcome, please register on Eventbrite.
This event will be delivered by Zoom, and the link to the event will be sent to participants the day before the event.