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Identity crisis? News reports on invasive species feature misleading images of unrelated organisms
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Authors
Mark Wong 
Abstract
In mainstream media, news outlets play a vital role in raising awareness and rallying public support for managing invasive species. However, news reports on invasive species occasionally feature misleading images of unrelated organisms. In this correspondence, I illustrate the problem with recent international news reports on invasions by Red Imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) in Asia, Australia and Europe. I discuss the serious implications of such misrepresentation for public understanding and support for invasive species management. I highlight ways ecologists can engage effectively with journalists to mitigate the spread of taxonomic misinformation in mainstream media.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.32942/X2CK65
Subjects
Life Sciences
Keywords
invasive species
Dates
Published: 2024-06-18 07:58
Last Updated: 2024-06-18 11:58
License
CC-By Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Additional Metadata
Conflict of interest statement:
None
Data and Code Availability Statement:
Not applicable
Language:
English
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