VegMediaWatch is a watchdog group that aims to improve the portrayal of veganism and plant-based foods in the mainstream media by exposing anti-vegan bias and amplifying fair and accurate reporting.
CBS reports on the beef industry without addressing its impact on the animals, the planet and human health. The NY Times describes activists who rescued abused dogs from a research lab as thieves. The NY Post reports on new research confirming that lobsters feel pain when dropped into boiling water.
The Times (U.K.) parrots meat industry propaganda about the health benefits of meat and the end of veganism. The Atlantic celebrates the technology behind “shelf-stable” dairy milk without reporting on the toll dairy production takes on human health, the planet, the cows and their newborn calves. The i-Paper (U.K.) platformed a self-described ex-vegan who routinely vilifies veganism and promotes meat in the mainstream media.
The bad and the good: The WSJ ignores the negative impacts of beef production. The L.A. Times reports on the conflicts of interest that helped elevate meat and dairy to the top of U.S. dietary guidelines.
The New Republic reports on the health risks of labeling nutritious, plant-based foods as “ultraprocessed” and unhealthy animal foods as “whole.”
Business Insider reinforces the meat industry narrative that plant-based meat is “ultraprocessed,” while positioning beef as a whole food. The NY Times and Huffington Post report on the manosphere’s unhealthy and absurd obsession with meat.
Pete Wells, the NY Times restaurant critic whose mean-spirted review of Eleven Madison Park took a steep toll on its plant-based business, has adopted a plant-heavy diet to improve his health. He has yet to apologize for the defamatory review. Referencing the same mean-spirited review, The Atlantic reinforces the defamatory message that Eleven Madison Park re-introduced meat because its plant-based cuisine “didn’t taste very good” when, in fact, the customer reviews were stellar. The New Republic asserts that elected officials should be promoting, not demonizing, plant-based eating.
Vox shines a spotlight on dairy calf abuse that is hidden from the public. The Wall Street Journal omits an important victim in its coverage of a slaughterhouse closure. An op-ed writer for The Guardian critiques efforts by European lawmakers to prevent plant-based food companies from using “meat” on their labels.
The Washington Post calls for increased beef imports in response to high prices. The Atlantic makes no mention of animal cruelty in a story about dairy production. Allure Magazine reports that “nobody wants to be vegan anymore.”
Men’s Health uses inconclusive research to promote meat consumption. CNN parrots meat industry talking points about veganism. Upon seeing a VegMediaWatch post critiquing its misleading, clickbait headline, Business Insider sent VegMediaWatch the following message, “We did change the headline to more fully capture the findings [of the study referenced in our article].”
In an in-depth story about bird flu killing seals, the NY Times omits the virus’s origin — factory farms. In a story about a fire that killed 6,000 pigs in a factory farm, the NY Times fails to acknowledge the suffering endured by the animals. The NY Post uses a 24-person study sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to justify publishing beef industry propaganda.
CNN suggests that feeding babies “lots of butter” can be “healthy.” CBS Evening News reports on an “amusing” lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings that has “no meat on its bones.” The Times of Israel reports on the health benefits of veganism for children. Click the link to help VegMediaWatch call out anti-vegan bias and amplify fair and accurate reporting.