It’s easy to believe that the Internet is without rules – an unfortunate byproduct of the limitless boundaries of the digital space, a blur between quality information and junk or unverified accusations and lies.
Despite all the good digital communication tools such as social media and online publications have done for the world, it’s easy to see the atrophy of critical thinking among our fellow man. Scientific study is one sector that requires much evidence but has degraded significantly into “science by agenda” – the Socratic Method tossed aside to fit preconceived ideology.
It can feel like there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
But sometimes, just every now and again, truth and justice prevails.
Such is the case with Elizabeth Batt, a “journalist” that has risen to virtual fame in animal-rights activist circles by publishing 490 articles on DigitalJournal.com about SeaWorld and other marine parks.
Those stories were always veiled with thinly sourced claims of horror and degradation.
Until this time. She went too far.
The Niagara Falls family marine park, Marineland, filed a $600,000 defamation lawsuit against the website, digitaljournal.com, for claiming that their killer whale Kiska was ailing and having serious health issues.
Specifically, the article failed to mention that Kiska’s health and care has been thoroughly reviewed with the full zoo inspection team of the OSPCA and experts from CAZA, and that no issues of concern with Kiska’s health were noted. The zoo inspection team of the OSPCA has since inspected Kiska following the allegations in the article as recently as October of this year, and again found no issues of concern with Kiska’s health.
Marineland has subsequently communicated to Digital Journal that:
- Kiska is healthy and well cared for at Marineland.
- Kiska lives in the largest pool housing of any killer whale in the world.
- All of the water in Kiska’s pool is filtered and exchanged every three hours through an advanced computerized water filtration system.
- The water system has been independently reviewed and approved by Stantec, recognized experts in water filtration systems.
- Kiska’s health is monitored daily by experienced staff and professionals and she receives excellent medical care from highly qualified and experienced veterinarians, including expert medical consultants.
- Kiska receives a healthy diet of high quality fish and her appetite is healthy, as is her weight.
- Kiska’s teeth are in good condition for her advanced age, and she receives a preventative “rinse” daily.
After that admission, the Digital Journal fully, and without qualification, retracted the article in its entirety and went on to say that the Digital Journal ” … prides itself on its high standards of journalism and regrets that they were not met in this isolated case. Digital Journal apologizes unreservedly to Marineland.”
Elizbeth Batt didn’t just get a fact wrong, Elizabeth Batt disregarded objective reality when writing her Marineland article in the Digital Journal.
It was activism wearing the robes of journalism. It happens all the time in the attacks against zoos and aquariums.
And we must guard against it.
When searching through the Digital Journal archives through 2007, we were not able to locate another time that the Digital Journal had to offer a full retraction.
It’s a win for truth and accuracy in reporting, but alas, we must still keep a level of skepticism when reading anything these days. Always follow the “believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see” maxim.
Elizabeth Batt is now writing for Ric O’Barry’s website “The Dolphin Project.” You might remember that guy as the only person to be convicted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for abusing dolphins.