[wisb] Re: "Birding" vs. "bird watching"
- From: Chuck Hagner <chagner@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "kkraco@xxxxxxxxxxx" <kkraco@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 11:19:30 -0600
Hi everyone--
Karen has put into words a chief reason why we're changing our name from
Birder's World to BirdWatching. If you publish a magazine and people don't
understand your name, you have a problem.
Of course, everyone reading this listserv, including me, will prefer the terms
"birding" and "birder." Our challenge, as publishers and more importantly, as
bird conservationists, is to recognize that in the wide, populous spaces
outside of our small circle, the terms say essentially one thing: Not for me.
Say the word "birdwatching," however, and not only do all people understand
immediately - no clarification required - but most people will go on to tell
you how much they love birds and want to learn more about them.
Seems to me there's a lesson here for all of us, whether we're trying to
attract readers, grow an association's membership, or rally political support
for conservation.
And please, don't assume that we're changing the editorial focus of the
magazine along with the name. Because we're not.
Kenn, Pete, David, and our other contributing editors are all still on board.
And happily. We're still publishing profiles of great hotspots. We're still
publishing feature stories that fascinate. (You should see the story about the
Red Knot coming in April.) We're still publishing important bird news. We're
still publishing great photos. And we've added a regular column by the American
Bird Conservancy.
All birdwatchers welcome.
--Chuck
Chuck Hagner
Editor, BirdWatching Magazine
Waukesha, WI
From: Karen Kraco <kkraco@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: <kkraco@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 07:42:45 -0600
To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [wisb] Re: "Birding" vs. "bird watching"
I, too, prefer the sound and connotations of birding, but with non-birding
folks often use the term birdwatching, because often I wind up needing to
clarify when I use birding.
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