Michael Bear

“Irwin’s legacy proved a dangerous one. Today’s presenters often close in on wildlife, forcing dangerous animals into interactions that can be physical, confrontational, and extremely stressful for both parties. Audiences are misled into thinking that invading wild animals’ space is acceptable. Charming and charismatic hosts often behave in ways that end up hurting the wildlife they profess to love.”
― Chris Palmer, Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker: The Challenges of Staying Honest in an Industry Where Ratings Are King

“Yukon Men is a popular Discovery Channel reality series about the citizens of the small town of Tanana in central Alaska. It portrays wolves as highly dangerous predators that besiege the town and threaten the safety of all of the residents. One of the show’s characters, Charlie, says, “Wolves”
― Chris Palmer, Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker: The Challenges of Staying Honest in an Industry Where Ratings Are King

“Audubon and NWF CEOs would send out during the week fundraising letters protesting the killing of a particular species of animal and then spend the weekend killing ducks or other animals for fun and recreation. For example, former NWF”
― Chris Palmer, Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker: The Challenges of Staying Honest in an Industry Where Ratings Are King

“I began to question NWF’s position on killer whale displays and I became more skeptical of NWF’s pro-captivity arguments, which parroted SeaWorld’s talking points. After all, NWF openly supported hunting and trapping; they were hardly in a good position to suddenly get maudlin about the suffering of orcas in captivity.”
― Chris Palmer, Confessions of a Wildlife Filmmaker: The Challenges of Staying Honest in an Industry Where Ratings Are King