Reflections

Perspective

Why Hack the World’s Largest Meat Company?

A group of hackers temporarily shut down operations at JBS, the world's largest meat company, disrupting the U.S. beef supply and leaving us with more questions than answers.

Policy•3 min read

Reported

Sentient Media and Million Dollar Vegan Join Forces to Empower Global Advocates

Million Dollar Vegan and Sentient Media are teaming up to give the next generation of animal advocates the tools they need to organize and run vegan food giveaways around the…

Policy•3 min read

Reported

10 Queer and POC-Led Groups Fighting for a More Equitable Food System

Across the country, queer folks and people of color are getting organized and coming up with real solutions for a food system that they say is leaving marginalized communities behind.

Policy•10 min read

Perspective

Defending the Indefensible: Pig Industry Veterinarian Speaks Out

Each time footage is released from pig farms, the industry manages to brush it off as an "isolated incident." But Dr. Alice Brough says these incidents are standard practice.

Policy•7 min read

Perspective

Is Speciesism a Social Justice Issue?

Speciesism is more than just an animal rights issue. The Deputy Leader of the UK's Animal Welfare Party, Jane Smith, explains why our understanding of social justice must evolve to…

Policy•5 min read

Perspective

White Veganism Doesn’t Serve Me Either: A White Vegan’s Perspective

From academia to animal advocacy, white supremacy culture permeates liberal spaces. It’s time to turn reflection into action.

Encompass•12 min read

Perspective

Next in Line: The Emotional Trauma We Inflict on Farmed Animals

Award-winning investigative photographer Amy Jones discusses her role in bridging the divide between humans and the emotional violence we inflict on farmed animals.

Policy•5 min read

Perspective

How Philanthropy in Farmed Animal Advocacy Reinforces White Bubbles

Most funders and leaders in the farmed animal advocacy movement are white. That needs to change.

Encompass•6 min read

Perspective

Chinese Eyes: Exploring Identity and White Supremacy in Animal Rights

It’s taken me years, but I’m beginning to understand how a white supremacy culture has shaped my life and my advocacy, and how to change this narrative.

Encompass•17 min read

Perspective

Fashion Gets Far Less Focus From Animal Activists—That Needs to Change

Just as we all eat, we all get dressed, every single day. That's why fashion needs to be included more seriously in the scope of animal activism.

Policy•5 min read

Perspective

Sentient Media Podcast: Damien Mander on His Journey From Soldier to Animal Activist

We caught up with Damien Mander, founder of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, to talk about how reliance on the meat industry is hindering our ability to protect wild places.

Podcast•23 min read

Perspective

Racism in Me, the Movement, and the Meat Industry

Seeing racism in myself was the first step to confronting it in the animal advocacy movement—and in the system we’re working to change.

Encompass•15 min read

Perspective

Human or Animal? Why We Need to Change the Conversation Altogether

When someone is dehumanized or "treated like an animal," they become easier to oppress. Meatpacking workers know this better than most.

Policy•4 min read

Perspective

Why This Undercover Investigator Is Helping Others Expose Animal Abuse

Prior to going undercover on factory farms, Erin Wing had witnessed and experienced all kinds of violence. It was one of the reasons she knew she would be well-suited for…

Policy•4 min read

Reported

Photo Essay: Aitor Garmendia Investigates 32 Spanish Pig Farms

Between 2019 and 2020, documentary photographer Aitor Garmendia conducted an investigation into 32 Spanish pig farms. This is what he found.

Policy•4 min read

Perspective

Why Aren’t More Veterinarians Vegan?

If the profession continues to turn a blind eye to the suffering of factory-farmed animals, "the public will wonder if they can trust veterinarians anymore."

Policy•11 min read

Perspective

The Unwritten Rule of Animal Rescue: Don’t Call the Cops

If you see an animal in need, the unwritten rule is: don’t call the cops. Instead, rescuers rely on a community of caregivers and activists to help find these animals…

Policy•5 min read

Explainer

Sentient Media 2020 Year in Review

In one short, very strange year, Sentient Media reached over 25 million people. Your support pushes our impact further.

Policy•5 min read

Explainer

Understanding Animal Rights: The Bold Idea That Started a Movement

The belief that animals should be accorded some form of rights is an ancient one. In its modern form, the list of basic animal rights is becoming more concrete.

Policy•9 min read

Perspective

How Many Animals Does PETA’s Shelter Euthanize Annually—and Why?

U.S. shelters must euthanize millions of animals every year. Why is this done? PETA explains.

Policy•7 min read

Perspective

Letter From Our Executive Director

Everyone at Sentient Media would like to share how every single member of our community has contributed to keeping non-human animals in the press throughout 2020. Our donors, members, advisors,…

Policy•3 min read

Perspective

The Most Dedicated Activists Don’t Always Shout the Loudest

Dr. Wadchara Pumpradit worked behind the scenes with acclaimed photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur to depict slaughterhouse conditions in Thailand. Today, he's a voice for change.

Policy•13 min read

Perspective

What I’ve Learned By Applying an Antiracist Framework to My Animal Advocacy

As a Black woman, I’ve learned through critical reflection the importance of applying an antiracist framework to my animal advocacy. It’s been a long time coming.

Encompass•18 min read

Perspective

Undercover Investigators and Whistleblowers Tell Their Stories

A group of seasoned investigators, whistleblowers, and legal experts discuss the role of undercover investigations in empowering individuals and legislators to make a change.

Policy•1 min read

Perspective

How Confronting My White Privilege Is Making Me a Better Animal Activist

What happens when a longtime animal activist begins to recognize their role in white supremacy culture? They decide to become part of the solution.

Encompass•16 min read

Perspective

The Need for Ethical Consistency in Animal Advocacy

To achieve animal rights, we must strive to make ethical decisions aligned with our values and work toward collective liberation for all.

Encompass•12 min read

Perspective

Why Rescue Some But Serve Others? Animal Rescue Shelters Facing Ethical Dilemma

Surprisingly, many animal sanctuaries and shelters still serve meat at fundraisers and other functions. But in the wake of the pandemic, their menus are becoming more aligned with their missions.

Policy•10 min read

Perspective

Collaboration and Activism: Strength Through Alliances

The fourth installment of Sentient Sessions explored the power and opportunity that can arise when movements join forces.

Policy•2 min read

Reported

Encompass Essays Series to Be Published by Lantern Books

The 12-part series investigates racism in the farmed animal protection movement and examines ways in which movement leaders can cultivate racial equity within their organizations and personally within themselves.

Encompass•3 min read

Perspective

Oppression Without Hierarchy: Racial Justice and Animal Advocacy

Twenty-first-century advocacy embraces cross-over between issue areas, giving us the best chance for holistic, sustained, transformative justice for all.

Encompass•19 min read

Perspective

World Day for Farmed Animals Sheds Light on Flawed Food System

In the time you've spent reading this article, roughly 231,396 animals have been slaughtered for food.

Policy•3 min read

Perspective

Animal Advocates: It’s Time We Move from Performance to True Antiracism

Here’s why the surge of interest in racial equity work gives me hope—and pause—about the animal protection movement’s quest toward antiracism.

Encompass•15 min read

Analysis

Letter From Our Founder

Sentient Media was founded to help bring animal welfare and animal rights issues into the mainstream.

Policy•4 min read

Perspective

Activists Make the Public Uncomfortable—But Why?

Activism can be effective, even when it is unpopular. Public disfavor is not always an indicator of whether or not a movement will succeed.

Policy•9 min read

Perspective

Dr. Milton Mills: On Being a Black, Vegan Doctor in Trump’s America

The star of the Netflix documentary, What the Health, speaks out about his experience advocating for truth and justice in all its forms. “Being a Black man in America prepared…

Policy•10 min read

Perspective

Taking on Canada’s Horse Meat Industry

Like the rest of animal agriculture, Canada's horse meat industry thrives in secrecy. Advocates are working tirelessly to shut it down.

Policy•4 min read

Perspective

How Racism in Animal Advocacy and Effective Altruism Hinders Our Mission

Improving the lives of animals is just one part of making the world a better place—to fully accomplish that mission, we must be antiracist as well.

Encompass•15 min read

Perspective

Why Are Black Protestors Being Accused of Abusing Animals?

On social media, people are using photos of animal abuse to delegitimize Black Lives Matter protests. But the credibility of these claims is questionable at best.

Policy•5 min read

Perspective

You’re Published, Now What? Social Media Influencers Discuss Social Justice Online

Watch the third installment of our new speaker series, Sentient Sessions, for tips and tricks on getting your voice heard on social media.

Policy•2 min read

Perspective

International Animal Protection Is Stronger When It’s Antiracist

International animal advocacy groups need to incorporate a framework for racial diversity, equity, and inclusion into their global strategy to ensure the oppression of all species can come to an…

Encompass•9 min read

Reported

The Psychology Behind Loving Ducks and Eating Them Too

During the pandemic, raising a baby duck became a trendy new pastime, but it's not as easy as it looks. Jessica Scott-Reid examines the complicated relationship between the animals we…

Policy•4 min read

Perspective

From Wet Markets to Meatpacking: Why Animal Advocacy Fails Without Anti-Racism

The U.S. has a long history of marking various oppressed groups as “Other,” especially in times of economic scarcity and crisis. COVID-19 is no different.

Policy•8 min read

Perspective

Let’s Talk About KFC’s ‘Black Power’ Drumstick

Why is it bad optics? Because the association of Black people and fried chicken is a pernicious racial stereotype that asserts itself over and over again.

Policy•5 min read

Perspective

How My Cultural Identity Informs My Animal Advocacy

Reflecting upon my history in animal advocacy, I realize that I have undervalued my family’s roots as a key factor in why and how I want to help animals to…

Encompass•8 min read

Perspective

Using Research and Data to Create an Inclusive Animal Rights Movement

Learning about racial inequity through the lens of data analysis not only improves the efficacy of my animal advocacy, but it fuels my commitment to fighting all forms of oppression.

Encompass•14 min read

Perspective

The Revolutionary Potential of Vegan Politics

Veganism is more than a diet—it's a political framework that challenges us to reexamine our relationship with gender, sexuality, and power in our everyday lives.

Policy•5 min read

Perspective

Dog for Dinner: Blasphemy or Hypocrisy?

How can individuals care about some animals and, at the same time, eat others? Human culture, rather than animals’ inherent moral worth, too often dictates which species are “okay” to…

Policy•8 min read

Explainer

How to Fact-Check and Verify Sources for Animal Rights Reporting

In the second installment of Sentient Sessions, Christopher Sebastian explains the importance of fact-checking and lays out the tools you'll need to master it.

Policy•4 min read

Perspective

From Speaking Up for Animals to Becoming an Antiracist

It’s time we own how the vegan movement has supported the systematic racism that robs people in the global majority of their humanity.

Encompass•10 min read

Perspective

Protesters, Pigs & the Diversity Problem in Animal Welfare

Allyship between the animal rights community and the Black community is tenuous, but it doesn’t have to be. Activists can organize to support all who are oppressed, regardless of species.

Policy•6 min read