Animal Rights News Sources

The first source I identified for keeping up with animal rights news is PETA’s website. PETA, of course, is probably the most (in)famous animal rights organization, so it’s a clear connection to my movement. Say what you will about PETA, but they are prolific! I did not find any other blogs or websites that update as frequently or with such breadth of news. There are posts about both instances of animal cruelty and protests against animal cruelty on their blog. Many of the things posted are specifically connected to PETA’s own events and actions, but there are also features of actions from activists not affiliated with PETA and general animal rights news.

My second source is the ASPCA’s Twitter account. I wanted to include at least one Twitter feed, because I feel like, of all the social networks, Twitter is where news really “happens.” However, it was harder than expected to find accounts that (1) were credible and respectable news sources and (2) posted actual news, not just thoughts or conversations (thoughts and conversations have a place in activism but are not helpful for this assignment). The ASPCA, like PETA, is an established and well-known animal rights organization. They tweet about various calls-to-action and animal rights news.

Finally, I am watching the “animal abuse, rights and welfare” tag of the New York Times website. So far it seems to be a great source for a variety of animal welfare news. The NYTimes is obviously a very well-respected and established outlet. I also think this is a valuable source because it’s not by or for animal rights activists, unlike my other two sources, so it provides a different perspective and perhaps speaks on different issues. The posts seem to be a mix of news stories about animal cruelty and welfare, guest essays and op-eds by animal activists, and pieces that intersect with other topics – for instance, the story “Supreme Court Wrestles With Case on Pigs, Cruelty and Commerce” would fit in on both an animal rights blog and a legal blog.