Prepared By: Kate Brennan - In The News: An Analysis of the Toronto Star's Marineland Investigation

In	
  The	
  News:	
  
       An	
  Analysis	
  of	
  the	
  Toronto	
  Star’s	
  
            	
  Marineland	
  Investigation	
  
                                  	
  
                Prepared	
  By:	
  Kate	
  Brennan	
  
	
  
	
  

IN	
  THE	
  NEWS-­‐	
  MARINELAND	
  INVESTIGATION	
  
CRISIS	
  

On	
  August	
  15,	
  2012	
  The	
  Toronto	
  Star	
  began	
  publishing	
  articles	
  as	
  part	
  of	
  their	
  
major	
  investigative	
  series	
  titled	
  “Inside	
  Marineland”,	
  which	
  focused	
  on	
  the	
  
conditions	
  and	
  treatment	
  of	
  animals	
  at	
  Marineland.	
  The	
  investigation,	
  which	
  lasted	
  
over	
  a	
  year,	
  was	
  centered	
  on	
  interviews	
  with	
  former	
  employees	
  who	
  stated	
  that	
  
Marineland	
  badly	
  mistreated	
  their	
  animals.	
  Throughout	
  the	
  series	
  employees	
  
blamed	
  poor	
  water	
  quality	
  and	
  staffing	
  shortages	
  for	
  the	
  ill	
  health	
  and	
  death	
  of	
  
animals	
  at	
  Marineland.	
  	
  

BACKGROUND	
  
Marineland	
  is	
  a	
  themed	
  amusement	
  and	
  animal	
  exhibition	
  park	
  located	
  in	
  Niagara	
  
Falls,	
  Ontario	
  and	
  is	
  one	
  of	
  Niagara	
  Fall’s	
  main	
  tourist	
  attractions.	
  Marineland	
  first	
  
opened	
  in	
  1961	
  and	
  is	
  owned	
  by	
  John	
  Holer.	
  Marineland	
  houses	
  a	
  variety	
  of	
  animals	
  
including	
  beluga	
  wales,	
  sea	
  lions,	
  walruses,	
  bottlenose	
  dolphins,	
  and	
  the	
  only	
  orca	
  
currently	
  living	
  in	
  captivity	
  in	
  Ontario.	
  Throughout	
  the	
  park’s	
  history,	
  Marineland	
  
has	
  been	
  involved	
  in	
  numerous	
  controversies	
  over	
  the	
  ill	
  treatment	
  of	
  its	
  animals	
  at	
  
the	
  park,	
  but	
  has	
  always	
  denied	
  these	
  types	
  of	
  allegations.	
  Star	
  reporter	
  Linda	
  
Diebel	
  started	
  the	
  investigation	
  into	
  Marineland	
  with	
  the	
  expectation	
  that	
  it	
  would	
  
last	
  a	
  few	
  weeks,	
  however,	
  the	
  story	
  kept	
  growing	
  into	
  other	
  stories	
  and	
  her	
  
investigation	
  lasted	
  for	
  over	
  a	
  year.	
  Marineland	
  has	
  continued	
  to	
  be	
  in	
  the	
  spotlight	
  
today	
  with	
  the	
  recent	
  announcement	
  that	
  the	
  government	
  will	
  be	
  banning	
  the	
  
captivity	
  of	
  killer	
  whales	
  in	
  Ontario.	
  	
  
MEDIA	
  COVERGE	
  	
  
August	
  2012-­‐	
  Crisis	
  Begins	
  

On	
  August	
  15,	
  2012	
  The	
  Toronto	
  Star	
  broke	
  the	
  first	
  story	
  of	
  alleged	
  animal	
  abuse	
  at	
  
Marineland.	
  This	
  was	
  the	
  start	
  of	
  the	
  Star’s	
  major	
  investigative	
  series	
  “Inside	
  
Marineland”	
  led	
  by	
  reporter	
  Linda	
  Diebel.	
  The	
  Star	
  posted	
  an	
  article,	
  which	
  was	
  
based	
  on	
  reports	
  from	
  former	
  employees	
  that	
  went	
  into	
  specific	
  details	
  about	
  the	
  
conditions	
  and	
  the	
  damage	
  that	
  had	
  been	
  done	
  to	
  the	
  animals	
  at	
  Marineland.	
  The	
  
article	
  mentions	
  a	
  number	
  of	
  examples	
  demonstrating	
  the	
  mistreatment	
  of	
  animals.	
  
For	
  example,	
  the	
  article	
  talks	
  about	
  Larry	
  the	
  harbour	
  seal	
  who,	
  after	
  living	
  at	
  
Marineland	
  for	
  eight	
  years,	
  went	
  blind	
  from	
  the	
  poor	
  water	
  conditions.	
  The	
  article	
  
mentions	
  Skoot	
  the	
  baby	
  beluga	
  who	
  was	
  killed	
  by	
  two	
  adult	
  belugas,	
  which	
  trainers	
  
believe	
  was	
  the	
  result	
  of	
  under	
  staffing.	
  The	
  article	
  also	
  states	
  that	
  Holer,	
  the	
  owner	
  
of	
  Marineland,	
  denied	
  all	
  allegations	
  stating,	
  “We	
  take	
  care	
  of	
  our	
  animals-­‐	
  better	
  
than	
  I	
  would	
  take	
  care	
  of	
  myself.”	
  The	
  Star’s	
  first	
  publication	
  on	
  August	
  15	
  also	
  
included	
  a	
  video	
  of	
  interviews	
  with	
  former	
  employees.	
  In	
  the	
  video	
  a	
  former	
  
employee	
  stated,	
  ““I	
  was	
  witness	
  to	
  things	
  that	
  people	
  would	
  never	
  imagine	
  a	
  place	
  
like	
  Marineland	
  to	
  be	
  capable	
  of.”	
  A	
  former	
  trainer	
  stated,	
  “I	
  saw	
  things	
  that	
  resulted	
  
in	
  death.”	
  
A	
  day	
  after	
  the	
  first	
  story	
  was	
  published;	
  the	
  Star	
  reported	
  on	
  the	
  reaction	
  from	
  the	
  
public.	
  They	
  stated	
  that	
  that	
  an	
  animal	
  advocacy	
  group	
  was	
  expecting	
  a	
  surge	
  of	
  new	
  
protesters	
  at	
  an	
  upcoming	
  demonstration	
  outside	
  Marineland.	
  “RSVPs	
  on	
  our	
  	
  

IN	
  THE	
  NEWS-­‐	
  MARINELAND	
  INVESTIGATION	
  
website	
  went	
  from	
  20	
  to	
  200	
  in	
  less	
  than	
  24	
  hours”,	
  said	
  Dylan	
  Powell,	
  a	
  protest	
  
organizer	
  from	
  Marineland	
  Animal	
  Defense.	
  Powell	
  stated	
  that	
  new	
  protesters	
  were	
  
joining	
  after	
  reading	
  the	
  Star’s	
  report	
  and	
  watching	
  the	
  video.	
  
On	
  August	
  17,	
  2012	
  The	
  Globe	
  and	
  Mail	
  reported	
  that	
  a	
  veterinarian	
  at	
  Marineland	
  
and	
  the	
  organization	
  in	
  charge	
  of	
  monitoring	
  animal	
  welfare	
  were	
  denying	
  the	
  
allegations	
  of	
  animal	
  neglect	
  made	
  in	
  the	
  Star’s	
  articles.	
  The	
  Globe	
  and	
  Mail	
  also	
  
stated	
  that	
  Toronto	
  city	
  Councilor	
  Michelle	
  Berardinetti	
  had	
  called	
  for	
  the	
  provincial	
  
government	
  to	
  investigate	
  the	
  allegations.	
  	
  

October	
  2012	
  
On	
  October	
  2,	
  2012	
  the	
  Globe	
  and	
  Mail	
  reported	
  on	
  a	
  Marineland	
  protest	
  where	
  
about	
  150	
  people	
  rushed	
  the	
  gates	
  of	
  Marineland	
  while	
  about	
  800	
  people	
  gathered	
  
outside.	
  These	
  protesters	
  wanted	
  to	
  end	
  animal	
  captivity	
  and	
  their	
  goal	
  was	
  to	
  shut	
  
down	
  the	
  park.	
  	
  
October	
  10,	
  2012	
  the	
  Globe	
  and	
  Mail	
  reported	
  that	
  after	
  mounting	
  pressure	
  from	
  
welfare	
  activists,	
  including	
  former	
  Marineland	
  employees,	
  the	
  Ontario	
  government	
  
was	
  going	
  to	
  strengthen	
  regulations	
  to	
  protect	
  animals	
  kept	
  in	
  zoos	
  and	
  aquariums	
  
including	
  Marineland.	
  This	
  article	
  also	
  stated	
  that	
  a	
  petition	
  with	
  77,000	
  signatures	
  
was	
  delivered	
  to	
  the	
  Ontario	
  legislature,	
  demanding	
  that	
  parks	
  like	
  Marineland	
  be	
  
better	
  regulated.	
  
December	
  2012-­‐	
  Mass	
  Animal	
  Graves	
  

On	
  December	
  20,	
  2012	
  the	
  Toronto	
  Star	
  reported	
  that	
  the	
  Ontario	
  Ministry	
  of	
  the	
  
Environment	
  announced	
  an	
  investigation	
  into	
  several	
  mass	
  animal	
  graves	
  at	
  the	
  
park.	
  For	
  decades,	
  according	
  to	
  former	
  employees,	
  Marineland	
  had	
  been	
  digging	
  pits	
  
to	
  dispose	
  of	
  its	
  animals,	
  and	
  using	
  heavy	
  machinery	
  to	
  cover	
  them	
  up.	
  Former	
  
employees	
  stated	
  that	
  there	
  were	
  four	
  mass	
  graves	
  on	
  site.	
  Marineland	
  does	
  not	
  
have	
  permits	
  for	
  such	
  practices.	
  
A	
  year	
  later,	
  on	
  January	
  14,	
  2013	
  following	
  a	
  ministry	
  probe,	
  The	
  Toronto	
  Sun	
  
reported	
  that	
  Marineland	
  had	
  been	
  ordered	
  to	
  stop	
  burying	
  dead	
  animals	
  on	
  site.	
  
They	
  also	
  reported	
  that	
  according	
  to	
  Ontario’s	
  Ministry	
  of	
  Environment	
  the	
  parks	
  
practice	
  of	
  burying	
  its	
  dead	
  animals	
  on	
  site	
  had	
  not	
  impacted	
  the	
  water	
  quality	
  in	
  
the	
  nearby	
  Welland	
  River,	
  which	
  has	
  been	
  a	
  concern.	
  
August	
  2013-­‐A	
  Year	
  After	
  
On	
  August	
  6,	
  2013	
  The	
  Star	
  published	
  a	
  follow	
  up	
  video	
  on	
  their	
  website	
  about	
  what	
  
has	
  happened	
  since	
  the	
  first	
  story	
  about	
  Marineland’s	
  mistreatment	
  of	
  animals	
  was	
  
published.	
  In	
  the	
  video,	
  reporter	
  Linda	
  Diebel	
  states	
  that	
  since	
  the	
  first	
  video,	
  the	
  
OSPCA	
  issued	
  a	
  number	
  of	
  orders	
  against	
  Marineland	
  and	
  Marineland	
  complied	
  with	
  
all	
  orders.	
  Diebel	
  also	
  reports	
  that	
  the	
  government	
  reacted	
  to	
  the	
  investigation	
  by	
  
creating	
  new	
  programs	
  with	
  the	
  hope	
  to	
  license	
  zoos	
  and	
  aquariums	
  in	
  Ontario,	
  to	
  
bring	
  in	
  special	
  standards	
  of	
  care	
  for	
  marine	
  mammals	
  and	
  for	
  the	
  Ontario	
  SPCA	
  to	
  
have	
  greater	
  powers,	
  responsibility	
  and	
  more	
  transparency.	
  In	
  the	
  video	
  it	
  is	
  also	
  	
  

IN	
  THE	
  NEWS-­‐	
  MARINELAND	
  INVESTIGATION	
  
disclosed	
  that	
  the	
  Star	
  was	
  working	
  with	
  15	
  whistleblowers	
  who	
  were	
  former	
  
employees	
  and	
  since	
  then	
  3	
  have	
  been	
  sued	
  by	
  the	
  owner	
  of	
  Marineland.	
  
January	
  2015-­‐	
  Ban	
  of	
  Killer	
  Whales	
  in	
  Ontario	
  

On	
  January	
  27,	
  2015	
  the	
  Star	
  reported	
  on	
  the	
  Ontario	
  government’s	
  announcement	
  
to	
  ban	
  the	
  captivity	
  of	
  killer	
  whales	
  in	
  Ontario	
  and	
  the	
  massive	
  upcoming	
  overhaul	
  
of	
  conditions	
  for	
  captive	
  marine	
  mammals.	
  These	
  government	
  decisions	
  were	
  based	
  
on	
  a	
  125-­‐page	
  report,	
  which	
  was	
  written	
  by	
  a	
  team	
  of	
  scientists.	
  The	
  Star	
  
summarized	
  their	
  findings	
  by	
  using	
  a	
  quote	
  from	
  the	
  report:	
  “It	
  is	
  our	
  opinion	
  that	
  
the	
  present	
  standards	
  of	
  care	
  that	
  apply	
  to	
  marine	
  mammals	
  in	
  public	
  display	
  
facilities	
  are	
  insufficient.”	
  This	
  article	
  also	
  links	
  back	
  to	
  and	
  discusses	
  the	
  Star	
  
investigation	
  of	
  Marineland	
  in	
  2012.	
  	
  
COMMUNICATIONS	
  MANAGEMENT	
  OF	
  THE	
  ISSUE	
  
This	
  crisis	
  commenced	
  on	
  August	
  15,	
  2012	
  when	
  the	
  Star	
  published	
  the	
  first	
  article	
  
and	
  video	
  accusing	
  Marineland	
  of	
  mistreating	
  their	
  animals.	
  Holer,	
  the	
  owner	
  of	
  
Marineland,	
  denied	
  all	
  accusations	
  made	
  in	
  this	
  article.	
  Before	
  the	
  article	
  was	
  
published	
  Holer	
  had	
  two	
  phone	
  interviews	
  with	
  the	
  Star	
  in	
  which	
  he	
  denied	
  that	
  
animals	
  suffer	
  at	
  Marineland	
  or	
  that	
  they	
  were	
  under	
  staffed.	
  Holer	
  also	
  stated	
  that	
  
he	
  was	
  responsible	
  for	
  the	
  water	
  and	
  for	
  determining	
  how	
  healthy	
  the	
  water	
  is,	
  
which	
  had	
  been	
  identified	
  as	
  a	
  major	
  concern	
  by	
  former	
  employees.	
  Holer	
  
acknowledged	
  that	
  some	
  animals	
  have	
  eye	
  problems	
  but	
  blamed	
  these	
  problems	
  on	
  
aging.	
  These	
  statements	
  were	
  included	
  in	
  the	
  Star’s	
  initial	
  report.	
  

On	
  the	
  same	
  day	
  the	
  Star’s	
  article	
  was	
  published,	
  Marineland	
  published	
  a	
  media	
  
statement	
  on	
  their	
  website	
  that	
  said,	
  “For	
  over	
  50	
  years,	
  Marineland	
  has	
  proven	
  that	
  
it	
  is	
  one	
  of	
  the	
  world's	
  best	
  facilities	
  for	
  animal	
  and	
  marine	
  mammal	
  care.”	
  The	
  
statement	
  also	
  invited	
  members	
  of	
  the	
  media	
  and	
  the	
  public	
  to	
  visit	
  Marineland	
  to	
  
see	
  for	
  themselves,	
  however,	
  it	
  did	
  not	
  address	
  the	
  Star’s	
  article.	
  
In	
  response	
  to	
  protests	
  made	
  against	
  Marineland	
  in	
  2012,	
  Marineland	
  issued	
  a	
  
statement	
  saying	
  that	
  it	
  is,	
  “very	
  difficult	
  and	
  personally	
  upsetting”	
  for	
  many	
  
Marineland	
  staff	
  to	
  see	
  these	
  issues	
  raised	
  through	
  the	
  media	
  and	
  that	
  they	
  only	
  
want	
  to	
  provide	
  a	
  safe	
  and	
  healthy	
  environment	
  for	
  the	
  animals	
  in	
  their	
  care.	
  

In	
  response	
  to	
  the	
  gravesite	
  accusations,	
  Marineland	
  spokesperson	
  Ann	
  Marie	
  
Rondinelli	
  stated,	
  “Here	
  at	
  Marineland	
  we	
  have	
  the	
  greatest	
  respect	
  for	
  the	
  beautiful	
  
animals	
  in	
  our	
  care	
  in	
  both	
  life	
  and	
  death.	
  Their	
  remains	
  are	
  dealt	
  with	
  respectfully	
  
and	
  in	
  methods	
  as	
  prescribed	
  by	
  the	
  law.”	
  

In	
  response	
  to	
  the	
  Ontario	
  Government’s	
  promise	
  to	
  ban	
  the	
  captivity	
  of	
  killer	
  
whales	
  in	
  Ontario,	
  Marineland	
  issued	
  a	
  statement	
  the	
  next	
  day	
  stating	
  that	
  the	
  
health	
  and	
  welfare	
  of	
  it's	
  animals	
  are	
  its	
  greatest	
  priority	
  and,	
  therefore,	
  Marineland	
  
welcomes	
  and	
  supports	
  the	
  decision.	
  Marineland	
  also	
  stated	
  that	
  it	
  “intends	
  to	
  work	
  
co-­‐operatively	
  with	
  the	
  (ministry)	
  to	
  continue	
  to	
  ensure	
  that	
  it	
  complies	
  fully	
  with	
  
all	
  environmental	
  laws	
  and	
  regulations."	
  Throughout	
  the	
  investigation	
  Marineland	
  	
  
	
  

IN	
  THE	
  NEWS-­‐	
  MARINELAND	
  INVESTIGATION	
  
stated	
  that	
  they	
  were	
  always	
  in	
  compliance	
  with	
  the	
  Ontario	
  Ministry	
  of	
  
Environment,	
  and	
  the	
  OSPCA’s	
  requirements	
  and	
  laws.	
  
ANALYSIS	
  

John	
  Holer’s	
  decision	
  to	
  deny	
  all	
  accusations	
  against	
  Marineland	
  and	
  their	
  treatment	
  
of	
  animals	
  may	
  have	
  caused	
  more	
  harm	
  to	
  Marineland’s	
  reputation	
  than	
  if	
  he	
  had	
  
accepted	
  responsibility	
  for	
  Marineland’s	
  shortcomings.	
  By	
  denying	
  all	
  accusations,	
  
even	
  with	
  15	
  different	
  former	
  employees	
  claiming	
  the	
  same	
  things,	
  Marineland	
  
appeared	
  untrustworthy	
  and	
  guilty	
  of	
  the	
  accusations.	
  	
  
Marineland	
  should	
  have	
  addressed	
  the	
  Star’s	
  first	
  article	
  immediately	
  in	
  a	
  media	
  
release.	
  By	
  addressing	
  and	
  fixing	
  the	
  issues	
  immediately,	
  Marineland	
  could	
  have	
  
possibly	
  avoided	
  having	
  such	
  a	
  lengthy	
  Star	
  investigation,	
  and	
  the	
  ongoing	
  
reputation	
  damaging	
  publicity	
  that	
  went	
  along	
  with	
  it.	
  	
  
Marineland	
  should	
  have	
  issued	
  a	
  statement	
  informing	
  the	
  public	
  that	
  although	
  they	
  
feel	
  their	
  standards	
  have	
  always	
  met	
  the	
  legal	
  requirements,	
  they	
  are	
  prepared	
  to	
  
address	
  any	
  shortcomings	
  and	
  will	
  implement	
  changes	
  in	
  order	
  to	
  further	
  enhance	
  
their	
  services	
  and	
  the	
  wellbeing	
  of	
  their	
  animals.	
  	
  

Marineland	
  is	
  constantly	
  stating	
  that	
  the	
  health	
  and	
  wellbeing	
  of	
  their	
  animals	
  is	
  the	
  
most	
  important	
  thing	
  to	
  them.	
  In	
  order	
  to	
  prove	
  this	
  to	
  the	
  public,	
  Marineland	
  
should	
  have	
  immediately	
  taken	
  steps	
  to	
  demonstrate	
  their	
  commitment	
  to	
  making	
  
improvements,	
  such	
  has	
  hiring	
  more	
  staff	
  or	
  shutting	
  down	
  the	
  facility	
  until	
  the	
  
water	
  quality	
  was	
  improved.	
  By	
  taking	
  these	
  actions	
  and	
  making	
  changes	
  to	
  
improve	
  the	
  quality	
  of	
  life	
  for	
  their	
  animals,	
  Marineland	
  would	
  have	
  had	
  the	
  
opportunity	
  to	
  gain	
  back	
  the	
  trust	
  and	
  support	
  of	
  the	
  public.	
  

In	
  the	
  future,	
  Marineland	
  should	
  be	
  more	
  transparent	
  with	
  the	
  public	
  about	
  what	
  
goes	
  on	
  behind	
  the	
  scenes.	
  In	
  order	
  to	
  improve	
  their	
  reputation,	
  the	
  public	
  needs	
  to	
  
feel	
  confident	
  that	
  Marineland’s	
  animals	
  are	
  treated	
  with	
  care	
  when	
  the	
  park	
  is	
  open	
  
and	
  closed.	
  By	
  allowing	
  the	
  public	
  to	
  see	
  what	
  happens	
  and	
  how	
  the	
  animals	
  are	
  
cared	
  for	
  when	
  the	
  gates	
  to	
  the	
  park	
  are	
  closed,	
  Marineland	
  will	
  be	
  able	
  to	
  gain	
  back	
  
some	
  support.	
  	
  
Throughout	
  the	
  investigation,	
  Marineland’s	
  only	
  defense	
  was	
  to	
  advise	
  the	
  public	
  
that	
  it	
  had	
  always	
  been	
  in	
  compliance	
  with	
  the	
  Ontario	
  Ministry	
  of	
  Environment,	
  and	
  
the	
  OSPCA’s	
  requirements	
  and	
  laws.	
  By	
  making	
  it	
  publicly	
  known	
  that	
  Marineland	
  
supported	
  and	
  aligned	
  themselves	
  with	
  these	
  groups,	
  and	
  abided	
  by	
  their	
  laws,	
  they	
  
attempted	
  to	
  maintain	
  their	
  credibility	
  with	
  the	
  public	
  and	
  divert	
  attention	
  away	
  
from	
  the	
  reported	
  mistreatment	
  of	
  the	
  animals	
  in	
  their	
  care.