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A roundup of my media outreach for Jaws’ 50th anniversary

Posted on June 20, 2025 By David Shiffman
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Jaws turned 50 this week, and I spoke with a lot of journalists about it.

I wrote about what’s happened to sharks in the 50 years since Jaws came out- some of the worst years in these animals 450 million year history- for the Revelator. Jaws at 50: Was the Terrifying Movie Really to Blame for Worldwide Shark Declines?Since the film’s release, sharks have experienced the worst declines in their 450-million-year history. Can we trace that decline to their villainous portrayal in this influential movie? (This got featured in JSTOR Daily).

I did a “Hopkins at Home” panel about the legacy of Jaws with a Johns Hopkins University film studies professor. (I’ll post the video when it’s out).

I was interviewed for Nature. Happy birthday Jaws! How the movie changed shark science
Half a century after its cinematic release, Jaws is still shaping how we view — and protect — the ocean’s top predators.

I was interviewed for the Washington Post. 50 years after ‘Jaws,’ sharks are in trouble
Scientists are using the continued lure of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster to aid shark conservation efforts.

I was interviewed for BBC Wildlife Magazine. “We’re not afraid of predators, we’re transfixed by them”: How Jaws changed our perception of sharks forever Half a century after a great white shark terrified cinemagoers, we hunt down the lasting impacts of Spielberg’s blockbuster

I was interviewed for Mental Floss. Science vs. Hollywood: Shark Experts Separate ‘Jaws’ Fact from Fiction
In the summer of 1975, movie audiences learned all they ever wanted to know about bloodthirsty sharks from ‘Jaws.’ We asked shark scientists to set the record straight on Hollywood’s prodigious predator.

I was interviewed for Ars Technica. We’re still afraid to go in the water. A shark scientist reflects on Jaws at 50 Ars chats with marine biologist David Shiffman about the film’s legacy—both good and bad.

I was interviewed on the Skaana podcast. We’re gonna need a bigger podcast… Happy 50th birthday to Jaws! David Shiffman, Author of Why Sharks Matter, on 50 Years of Jaws vs. Sharks

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