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The meat and dairy industries continue to attack veganism through its paid supporters in the government and media. As demonstrated by the closure of vegan restaurants and the drop in sales of plant-based foods, their large-scale propaganda campaign is working. Their attacks have consequences not only for vegan businesses, but also for human health, the planet and the animals.

The meat and dairy industries’ attacks on veganism and plant-based eating are taking a toll.

In an effort to minimize the damage and protect the progress made in recent years, TheirTurn has shifted its attention to VegMediaWatch, a watchdog group that combats anti-vegan bias. On its six social media platforms, @VegMediaWatch has been working to hold journalists accountable for publishing stories that contain biased, misleading or false information about plant-based diets and veganism.

VegMediaWatch has made it easy for supporters to help. If you sign up Rapid Response Team on the VegMediaWatch website, you will receive a weekly action alert that provides clear guidance on how you can help in just a minute or two.  Please note that, if you receive emails from TheirTurn, you will not automatically receive emails from VegMediaWatch, so please do subscribe here.

Please sign up for VegMediaWatch’s Rapid Response Team to receive a weekly action alert

You can also help by following @VegMediaWatch and sharing or commenting on its posts on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and BlueSky.

VegMediaWatch doesn’t just critique. It also acknowledges and amplifies journalists who portray veganism fairly and accurately and who report honestly on the impacts of animal agriculture. Responsible journalism deserves recognition, and positive reinforcement could influence future reporting.

Unlike social media influencers, who are largely unaccountable, journalists in the mainstream are sensitive to accusations of bias. Indeed, several have responded to VegMediaWatch posts. Some have been defensive; others supportive. Either way, their responses demonstrate that they are paying attention and that the posts are impacting on them.

While the vegan and animal rights communities do not have the financial resources of the meat and dairy industries, we do have the truth on our side and a determination to promote cruelty-free living. If we want veganism to be represented truthfully in the media, then we must use our social media platforms to speak out.

A watchdog group, VegMediaWatch, has launched to combat the growing wave of anti-vegan propaganda in the mainstream media. The initiative aims to hold journalists and news outlets accountable for publishing biased stories that misrepresent veganism and plant-based foods.

Each year, the meat and dairy industries spend millions of dollars on public relations to shape public opinion. Their efforts to vilify plant-based foods as “ultra-processed” while promoting meat and dairy as “natural” and “environmentally friendly” are paying off. As consumers embrace the misinformation, they are making food choices that are worse for their health, the planet, the animals and vegan businesses.

VegMediaWatch was created to reverse this trend. Through respectful, fact-based social media posts, @VegMediaWatch calls out journalists and media outlets that publish anti-vegan propaganda.

Journalists targeted in post invite VegMediaWatch to submit an op-ed

The mainstream media often uses their news pages to promote the products of their meat and dairy advertisers and to quash their competition” said Jane Velez-Mitchell of UnchainedTV. “VegMediaWatch is here to to hold the culprits accountable by shining a spotlight on the bias and propaganda.”

VegMediaWatch exposes anti-vegan bias in the Wall Street Journal and the writer’s conflict of interest

In addition to exposing false narratives, VegMediaWatch celebrates and amplifies stories in the mainstream media that fairly and accurately portray plant-based foods and veganism.

VegMediaWatch amplifies stories in the mainstream media that positively portray plant-based foods and veganism

“Together, we can shift the conversation around plant-based food—demanding fairness in reporting and empowering consumers to make informed and ethical choices that are better our health, the planet and the animals,” said Velez-Mitchell.

VegMediaWatch encourages members of the public to support its efforts by signing up for the Rapid Response Team in order to receive a weekly action alert and by sharing and engaging with @VegMediaWatch content on social media.

During the 2022 Animal Rights March in New York City, we asked 11 participants what made them go vegan. Here’s what they said:

While millions of people, including those featured in this video, go vegan for ethical reasons, others make the switch to a plant-based diet to improve their health or to protect the planet. Animal agriculture is not only one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters, but it is also a leading cause of deforestation, species extinction, ocean dead zones, antibiotic resistance and zoonotic disease outbreaks, such as avian flu and swine flu.

Animal rights activists from New York, the surrounding states and Canada participate in the 2022 Animal Rights March, which took place on August 27, 2022

If you are interested in learning more about making the switch to a plant-based diet, please order a free Vegan Starter Kit from PETA.

PETA’s vegan start kit helps people transition to a plant-based diet

Frank Liotti, a stand-up comedian from New York City, thought he had food poisoning one night when he got off the stage at a club in Ohio. When his symptoms didn’t improve after a week in bed, he went to the emergency room where he received chilling diagnosis. During an interview with TheirTurn, Liotti describes a dramatic life-saving change and explains the surprising reason he has been able to maintain it.

Stand-up comedian Frank Liotti makes the switch to a plant-based diet after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Natasha Brenner, an animal rights activist in NYC, celebrated her 98th birthday with friends. While homemade vegan lasagna for her birthday party was cooking in the oven, Natasha spoke to TheirTurn about why she went vegan and became an animal rights activist in her mid-70s.