National Geographic going back to Niku – TIGHAR sees $$$$$ signs

Ocean explorer Bob Ballard said this week that National Geographic is sponsoring another of his expeditions to Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific to search for Amelia Earhart’s aircraft. His 2019 expedition found nothing. Naturally, the TIGHAR discussion forums erupted: https://tighar.org/smf/index.php/topic,2178.0.html. What’s interesting is how Gillespie treats the news:

“I don’t think he’ll find anything but anything that keeps Amelia Earhart’s name in front of the public is good for TIGHAR (1).  Ballard ended his 2019 effort with doubts that we’re right about Niku being where she ended up, but he has apparently regained his faith (2).  His announcement that he’ll try again is a second endorsement of our work (3).  That NatGeo will again spring for the cost tells me the two-hour television special was a financial success despite the 2019 expedition finding zip.  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result – but that’s not what’s happening. There’s nothing crazy about doing the same thing over and over if it makes money (4). Remember, Ballard was sponsored by National Geographic Partners, a media company controlled by Disney.  It’s all about the TV show and the TV show is all about money (5).  The same executive who was responsible for the two Discovery Channel specials about TIGHAR’s 2010 and 2012 expeditions moved to NatGeo and was responsible for their 2019 Expedition Amelia special.  A 2022 NatGeo/Ballard expedition to Niku would be a win/win for all concerned, regardless of the search results.  Nat Geo will make money from another TV special, and Ballard will get another blast of media attention.  Chances are, NatGeo Partners will need to come back to TIGHAR for help telling the Why Nikumaroro? story and they’ll have to pay for that. (6)“

Breaking this down a bit:

1. Firmly embracing the “any publicity is good publicity” mantra. I thought TIGHAR was all about education?
2. I had no idea that the search for Earhart was a religious quest, unless, of course, you’re a TIGHAR apostle.
3. Second endorsement? Ummmm … OK. More like, see no.’s 4 and 5.
4. “There’s nothing crazy about doing the same thing over and over if it makes money.” Think about that. Further on in his post, Gillespie catalogs the TEN times TIGHAR has gone to Niku. Is this a tacit admission that, well, you gotta’ do what you gotta’ do to pay your bills, regardless of whether there’s a legitimate purpose to do so or not?
5. TIGHAR has never publicly released any figures about how much money it’s made selling the media rights to its expeditions. One wonders.
6. This – “they’ll have to pay for that.” No doubt Gillespie is fully prepared to pull out the “antiquities agreement” that TIGHAR has with the nation of Kiribati (which hasn’t been renewed in some time) so he can once again bludgeon Nat Geo’s lawyers into including TIGHAR. Hey, it worked in 2019! It’d be pretty funny if it fell flat in 2022.