Fox-Owned National Geographic Uses Gorillas as Cover for Exploitation of Congo

[MinM]

Fox-Owned National Geographic Uses Gorillas as Cover for Exploitation of Congo

Dateline— December 1979, Karisoke Research Camp, Rwanda—Dian Fossey opens a letter from the editor of her book, Gorillas in the Mist, and learns that National Geographic Magazine has decided to “put a hold on Fossey news.” (Source: Letter from Anita McClellan to Dian Fossey. December 14, 1979; McMaster University) The magazine and its board of directors decreed that Dian Fossey was a wild card who would stymie plans to support tourism in the realm of the endangered mountain gorilla. The Boston cocktail circuit of celebrities and mainstream news media luminaries wanted someone who would work against the interests of the African people and develop a gorilla sanctuary which would function as an economic resource for conservation interests—all under the guise of “science.” The result would be hordes of tourists invading native lands and gorilla habitat. Fossey had all but eliminated poaching for antelope species and trade in gorilla parts by this time. The fuss was all about money and strategic interests, and the mantra of National Geographic that Africa was too wild, too uncivilized and too black to manage its own affairs.

Fossey would spend the rest of her days fighting for “active conservation,” while National Geographic Magazine slowly cut off her funding. Dian Fossey wrote that “Africans are the backbone” of conservation efforts, realizing that without the support and protection of “Africans for Africans,” there was little hope for either species.

There are de-classified diplomatic cables from Fossey’s time which indicate outright collusion between Melvin Payne, then President of the National Geographic Society, Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, and Rwandan Ambassador, Frank Crigler to remove Fossey from Rwanda. A smear campaign was underway to discredit her so that money-making “conservation” schemes could be implemented by the African Wildlife Fund (AWF) and the colonialist Mountain Gorilla Project...

[givemebackmycountry]

1. Let's face it....

The Right Wing destroys everything it touches.
Funny thing...they makes TONS of cash while doing so.

The Right is unhealthy for children and other living things.

(Stolen from that very famous poster of the sixties)

[spag68]

2. Educate me

Where in the article doe's it say that fox owns National Geographic

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

5. Hard to believe...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Geographic_Channel

In the United States, The National Geographic Channel, launched in January 2001, is a joint venture of National Geographic Television & Film and Fox Cable Networks. The National Geographic provides programming expertise and the Fox Networks Group provides its expertise on distribution, marketing, and ad sales. It is primarily a digital cable and satellite channel there.

[Beaverhausen]

7. So, the network is co-owned by Fox but this has nothing to do with Dian Fossey

What is the point of this?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. The STATION is acting more Foxish all the time, but the MAGAZINE regularly

gets angry letters from right-wing readers because it takes global climate change seriously and says nice things about countries full of dark-skinned people.

[lurky]

3. National Geographic is published by

the National Geographic Society.

[summer borealis]

4. Fox DOES NOT own nat. geo!

[MasonJar]

6. National Geographic is a Murdock owned entity. Obviously his influence

is more subtle in that publication than in most of his other diatribes. However, this article makes it clear that even the NG has an agenda that is rightist.

[YOY]

8. The station is a cooperative effort

The magazine has nothing to do with the right...

The massive coverage of global warming and the occasional realist coverage of societies in certain regions is proof of the pudding.

[glitch]

9. This does go to show how you should be careful who you associate with.

Having Fox do their marketing/distribution may've seemed like a good idea at the time, but look at how it can be twisted -- any association with Fox means you're owned. Something to think about.

It will be nice when Fox is so much of a pariah that no one associates with them.

disclaimer: big fan of the Dog Whisperer on NatGeo. Also, their Earth: The Biography series is stunning.

[CTD]

10. It's claims like this that make us all look bad - Fox does NOT own Nat'l Geo

Come on people, get a grip.

[ForrestGump]

12. Not sure what Fox, that does not own National Geographic, has to do with Dian Fossey.

I've known a couple of people who knew her and they both said she basically lost the plot, to a great extent, in Rwanda. I'm not sure I'd buy all of her claims, anyway, though I believe she also did a lot of good with her work and local advocacy and it's terrible what happened to her (and that country).

[HamdenRice]

13. Fox as we know it now not involved with National Georgraphic in 1979, not owned by Murdoch

Murdoch was barely in the U.S. in 1979. Fox at the time was still Twentieth Century Fox, a movie studio.

In 1979, Twentieth Century Fox was owned by now fugitive financier, Marc Rich. It was only sold to Murdoch sometime around 1985.

[marmar]

14. Fox owns National Geographic?

Mon dieu! ...... Somebody lock Murdoch up and drop the key in an active volcano!!!