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
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.
In a highly publicized video posted on September 17th, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages following four incidents in which spooked horses bolted in Central Park, injuring several pedestrians and forcing others to leap out of the way to avoid being trampled. His announcement came six weeks after the Central Park Conservancy, which operates the park, made a public statement calling for the removal of horse-drawn carriages from Central Park.
Many members of the public who heard Adams’ announcement misunderstood it. Because he said, “We have started taking steps to ban the horse-carriage industry,” they thought his office would be shutting it down. The executive branch, however, does not have the authority to do so; only the legislature does. That is why, in his announcement, Mayor Adams called on NYC Council Members to support Ryder’s Law, legislation that would prohibit the operation of horse-drawn carriages.
New Yorkers, here’s what I want you to know about the announcement we made today calling on the @NYCCouncil to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park: pic.twitter.com/p68qjA1Od8
In his announcement and in a subsequent executive order, Mayor Adams also stated that he would enforce the laws routinely broken by carriage drivers and offer horse-drawn carriage drivers incentives to leave the business voluntarily. His first deputy Mayor, Randy Mastro, wrote in an op-ed in the Daily News, “we have offered to find alternative city employment for the drivers that assures them higher wages” and “have offered to compensate owners for the value of their licenses.”
Prior to Mayor Adams’ announcement, 20 NYC Council Members had already signed onto Ryder’s Law. NYCLASS, the animal advocacy organization leading the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages, hoped that his announcement would compel additional lawmakers to sign onto the bill. So far, no one has. In order for the bill to pass, at least six more City Council members would have to support the bill. In addition, the Speaker of the City Council, Adrienne Adams, would have to allow a public hearing and a vote on the bill. For the past three years, Speaker Adams has blocked Ryder’s Law behind the scenes while telling reporters that she’s allowing the legislative process to “run its course.”
Many of the City Council members who have not signed onto Ryder’s Law have privately cited fear of retaliation by industry lobbyist John Samuelsen as the reason why. As President of the Transport Workers Union, which makes endorsements, Samuelsen wields far more influence than outgoing Mayor Adams, who has no leverage over city lawmakers. In addition to aggressively lobbying City Council members to oppose Ryder’s Law, Samuelsen is spending $1 million on advertisements attacking those who have already signed onto Ryder’s Law and other stakeholders calling for a ban.
As a lobbyist and spokesperson for the horse-drawn carriage trade, Samuelsen has led Council Members, the media and the public to believe that the carriage drivers and others who work in the business are dues-paying union members. When pressed, however, Samuelsen has admitted that the workers have neither a union contract nor a collective bargaining agreement. In addition, the workers have no protections or benefits and are not eligible for disability, Workers Compensation, unemployment or Social Security.
Horse-drawn carriage lobbyist John Samuelsen, who is president of the Transport Workers Union, is taking out attack ads on NYC Council Members who support Ryder’s Law, the bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages.
In addition to Council Members, Samuelsen is attacking the Central Park Conservancy over its call to remove carriages from the park. Instead of attempting to address the Conservancy’s concerns – that the carriages pose a safety hazard, damage the roadways and contaminate the the streets with manure – Samuelsen is accusing its leaders of being “corporate aristocrats” who are “desecrating the park’s storied history.”
TWU President John Samuelsen launched a $1M campaign attacking NYC Mayor Eric Adams over his support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages
As part of his $1M campaign against supporters of Ryder’s Law, Samuelsen has also launched a public relations campaign attacking Mayor Adams as an “untrustworthy backstabbing rat.” Now that Adams has dropped out of the Mayoral race, however, this campaign could potentially backfire, as he nothing to lose by advocating for a ban. Instead of silencing him, the attack ads might embolden him to double down on his effort to ban the industry. If he succeeds, the Mayor will not only have improved his legacy, but he will also have won the war waged against him by Samuelsen.
“It’s outrageous that John Samuelsen & TWU are blowing $1 million in workers’ hard-earned dues to attack the mayor for standing up against animal abuse.
When is the last time TWU spent $1 million making buses & subways safer for their own members?” https://t.co/Oxu9cdFnFV
Samuelsen is also attacking NYCLASS, claiming that its founder Steve Nislick is motivated to shut down the industry by his desire to buy the stables and replace them with skyscrapers. While untrue, Samuelsen is taking out ads to amplify the “real estate land grab” narrative because it served the horse-drawn carriage industry well in 2014 when then Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to ban it. At the time, the Teamsters Union, which served as the industry’s lobbyist until 2016, spread the same lie, and New York’s three major newspapers ran with it. Despite the fact that the papers offered no proof of the accusation, the public believed the “big, bad real estate developer” narrative and sided with the horse-drawn carriage industry. Eleven years later, public support for a ban has increased, driven in part by the high profile horse deaths and accidents caught on camera. According to the latest poll, 71% of New Yorkers support a ban.
John Samuelsen, the TWU President who is serving as the lobbyist for NYC’s horse-drawn carriage trade, has falsely accused NYCLASS founder Steve Nislick of attempting to ban horse-drawn carriages in order to develop the lots where the stables are located
While Mayor Adams has dropped out of the race, his three former opponents – Curtis Sliwa (R), Zohran Mamdani (D) and Andrew Cuomo (I) – have publicly stated that they support too a ban on horse-drawn carriages in NYC. Their support, however, does not appear to be moving the City’s lawmakers.
During his last few months in office, Mayor Adams is expected to use the power of his office to advance a ban. NYCLASS, which has led the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages for almost 20 years, is hopeful but not taking any chances. Its Executive Director Edita Birnkrant told supporters during a recent rally that the organization will continue to lobby City Council members in support of Ryder’s Law; hold Speaker Adams accountable for blocking it; combat the false narratives in the media; educate and mobilize the public; and document the horse-drawn carriage accidents and horse collapses.
The death of Spotty, a horse who spooked and crashed on Ninth Ave in 2005, led to the formation of the Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages. In 2006, NYCLASS joined the fight and has been leading the effort for almost 20 years.
Just three weeks after New York’s 80+ live animal markets re-opened following a five day mandatory closure due to avian flu outbreaks, the New York State Department of Ag & Markets reported seven new outbreaks affecting thousands of birds in four of the city’s five boroughs. In response to media inquiries about the new outbreaks, a spokesperson for the agency said that the state would “order another shutdown if clear evidence persists that bird flu is spreading in the live poultry business.” Public health advocates and animal rights groups are asserting that temporary closures won’t stop the spread of avian flu and other infectious diseases and that their operation in NYC poses an ongoing risk to the public health.
Since early February, when the live markets re-opened, Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director of the animal advocacy group NYCLASS, and anthrozooligist John DiLeonardo, Executive Director of the bird rescue and animal advocacy group Humane Long Island, have paid several visits. “Our investigation showed the same dangerous conditions that existed when Governor Hochul shut down the markets the first time,” said Birnkrant. “They continue to confine multiple species of birds and other animals, many of whom are visibly sick, in crowded cages as members of the public walk in and out with no restrictions or safety measures in place.”
Avian flu outbreaks that have occurred since NYC’s live animal markets reopened following a five day closure in February.
DiLeonardo, who has rescued more than 100 animals from NYC’s live animal markets, says all of them were sick with coccidiosis, aspergillus, staph infection, respiratory infection, or infectious diseases. Avian influenza, however, is the scariest, according to DiLeonardo because, if it mutates into a strain that can be transmitted among humans, it would be 100 times more deadly than COVID-19.”
Chicken with open wound at an NYC live animal market during avian flu outbreak
In early March, Guardian Angels founder and 2025 NYC Mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa made two unannounced visits to several wet markets in Brooklyn and Queens. Appalled by what he witnessed, he is now calling on elected officials and public health authorities to shut them down. “The wet markets are life-sized petri dish filled with thousands of animals who are visibly sick and suffering from illness and intensive confinement. New York should not allow wet markets to operate anywhere, especially in the densely populated residential neighborhoods where most of them are located. The unsafe and inhumane conditions in these storefront slaughterhouses are unfixable.”
Just three weeks after New York’s 80+ live animal markets re-opened following a five day closure due to multiple #avianflu outbreaks, @nyagandmarkets has reported seven new outbreaks affecting thousands of birds in four of NYC’s five boroughs.
In May 2020, NY State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal and NY State Senator Luis Sepulveda introduced legislation to shut down New York’s live animal markets “to help prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases.” The legislation, if passed into law, would convene a “Task Force on Slaughterhouse Public Health and Safety and Animal Welfare” comprised of experts in epidemiology, veterinary science, and animal welfare to determine whether any amount of regulation can make the slaughterhouses safe enough to operate.
Media coverage of avian flu outbreaks in NYC’s live animal markets
In an effort to compel Adidas to stop killing kangaroos for their skin, animal rights groups are starting to protest the company’s board members. As part of that effort, TheirTurn has a launched a letter-writing campaign targeting Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the sportswear company’s most prominent board member. Joyner-Kersee, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, has not responded to a letter regarding the slaughter sent by the Center for a Humane Economy, the U.S.-based advocacy group running the global #KangaroosAreNotShoes campaign.
Letter calling on Adidas board member Jackie Joyner-Kersee to stop killing kangaroos to make football cleats
“As a member of Adidas’s Board of Directors, Jackie Joyner-Kersee can call on the company’s other leaders, including CEO Bjorn Gulden, to join Nike, Puma and New Balance in making the switch from kangaroo skin to the cruelty-free high-performance materials that are widely available,” said Jennifer Skiff, Director of International at Center for a Humane Economy.
In Australia, commercial hunters kill an estimated one million adult kangaroos each year. Several hundred thousand of them are mothers with joeys in their pouch or at their foot. Because the joeys cannot survive without their mothers, the shooters either bludgeon them to death, as mandated by the government, or leave them to die of starvation or predation. The nightly kangaroo hunt violates Adidas’s own corporate animal welfare policies.
After Nike, New Balance and Puma learned that kangaroo skin is a product of extreme violence, they transitioned to #crueltyfree materials, yet @adidas continues to claim that shooting wild kangaroos and bludgeoning their joeys to death is humane. #KangaroosAreNotShoes cc:… pic.twitter.com/NWqZLIiS2S
Participants of the letter campaign are calling on Joyner-Kersee and her colleagues on the Board of Directors of Adidas to stop using “k-leather” because “chasing down and slaughtering wild kangaroos, including lactating mothers and their joeys, in order to make shoes out of their skin is inhumane and unnecessary.”
The Center for a Humane Economy is calling on Adidas board member Jackie Joyner-Kersee to stop killing kangaroos
Animal rights activists in St. Louis have told TheirTurn that Joyner-Kersee is appearing at two high profile events this month. On October 12th, the St. Louis American, a weekly newspaper serving the African-American community, is giving her a Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual gala. And, on October 25th, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation is hosting a fundraising gala the Four Seasons Hotel. The activists have not publicly announced plans to protest at these events.
“As one of the most famous Olympic athletes in history, countless people – young and old – see Jackie Joyner-Kersee as a role model,” said Edita Birnkrant, Executive Director of the New York City-based animal advocacy group NYCLASS. “Profiting off of the slaughter of innocent animals and their families sends the wrong message to her supporters and fans. It also betrays the values of her namesake foundation.”
For the past two years, animal rights activists in Australia, Canada, the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have been staging protests at Adidas stores and corporate officers. During a protest at Adidas’s 2024 shareholder meeting in Germany, CEO Bjorn Gulden, publicly acknowledged that the kangaroo hunt is “terrible” and suggested that the company would soon announce a phase out. Because Adidas has not done so, animal advocacy groups are shifting their attention to the company’s board members.
— Victorian Kangaroo Alliance (@VicKangaroos) April 14, 2024
In addition to targeting Adidas facilities, animal rights activists in New York and Germany have staged protests at the offices of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann because the company’s CEO, Thomas Rabe, is the Chairman of the Board of Adidas. Rabe has not acknowledged the hundreds of letters sent to him by animal protection groups and activists.
Animal protection groups are calling on Thomas Rabe, the Chairman of the Board of Adidas, to stop using kangaroo skin. Rabe is the CEO of the global media giant Bertelsmann
