Factory farming is often discussed through the lens of animal welfare, environmental damage, or human health. But investigative journalist Will Potter has spent years uncovering another dimension of the issue. According to Potter, the battle over factory farms is also a battle over transparency, protest rights, and civil liberties.
In this episode of the Better Life for Animals podcast, Potter joins the conversation to discuss how industrial agriculture has influenced policy, law enforcement, and the way activism is portrayed in the media. His work explores how governments and corporations sometimes respond when powerful industries are challenged.
The Impact of Green Is the New Red
Potter gained widespread recognition with his landmark book Green Is the New Red. The book documented how nonviolent environmental and animal rights activists were increasingly labeled as extremists under domestic terrorism frameworks.
Through extensive investigative reporting, Potter showed how legislation, surveillance programs, and prosecutions were being used against activists whose primary actions involved protest, education, and advocacy.
The book sparked an international conversation about how dissent can be reframed as a security threat when it challenges industries with significant economic and political influence.
A Ten-Year Investigation into Factory Farming
Potter’s newest book, Little Red Barns, represents more than a decade of investigative work examining factory farming and the systems that protect it.
Potter explains how his research uncovered a pattern of secrecy surrounding industrial animal agriculture. As awareness of factory farming grows, efforts to control information about the industry have intensified.
The investigation explores how political pressure, corporate influence, and legal tactics can combine to create barriers for journalists, whistleblowers, and activists attempting to expose conditions within factory farms.
Ag-Gag Laws and the Battle Over Transparency
One of the most controversial developments Potter discusses is the rise of ag-gag laws. These laws attempt to criminalize documenting conditions inside agricultural facilities.
Supporters argue that these laws protect farmers and agricultural businesses from misrepresentation. Critics argue that they prevent the public from seeing how animals are treated inside industrial farming operations.
Potter notes that investigative journalism has historically been responsible for exposing many abuses within factory farms. When access to information is restricted, it becomes more difficult for consumers to understand how their food is produced.
Transparency, he argues, plays a vital role in shaping public awareness and policy discussions.
The Broader Implications for Civil Liberties
While Potter’s work focuses heavily on factory farming and animal advocacy, the implications reach much further. The tactics used to monitor and restrict activist movements raise important questions about civil liberties and the right to dissent.
Throughout his career, Potter has testified before the United States Congress, the Australian Parliament, and the Council of Europe about the importance of protecting protest rights and press freedom.
He emphasizes that when activism around one issue is treated as a threat, it can create precedents that affect other movements as well.
The Role of Journalism in Exposing Hidden Systems
Investigative journalism continues to play a crucial role in bringing hidden systems into public view. From undercover investigations to whistleblower testimony, journalists have repeatedly revealed practices within factory farming that would otherwise remain out of sight.
Potter’s work highlights the importance of long-term investigative reporting and the role it plays in challenging powerful institutions.
For those concerned about animal welfare, environmental protection, and democratic freedoms, the conversation raises a central question. When industries operate behind closed doors, who has the right to reveal what is happening inside?
This episode explores that question and the growing intersection between factory farming, activism, and the protection of civil liberties.
www.willpotter.com
Episode Highlights
[00:00] Introduction
[02:30] The truth about Little Red Barns.
[05:30] The gap between what people believe and what they do.
[08:30] The day FBI labeled animal advocates domestic terrorists.
[10:30] Love is a small movement.
[14:00] The fallacy of the MAHA new food pyramid.
[18:30] There is a lack of oversight with animal agriculture.
[21:00] The science supports a plant-based diet.
[22:00] Bait and switch with processed animals.
[24:00] Human slavery is a real issue in factory farms.
[27:00] Dark moments that make activists question what they are doing.
[32:30] Mood follows action.
About Will Potter
Will Potter is an award-winning investigative journalist and TED Senior Fellow known for exposing political repression and the erosion of civil liberties.
His reporting and commentary have appeared in The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and Rolling Stone. His investigative work has helped overturn prosecutions and challenge censorship laws. In recognition of his expertise on civil liberties and protest rights, Potter has been invited to testify before the U.S. Congress, the Australian Parliament, and the Council of Europe.
Potter is the author of the landmark book Green Is the New Red, which revealed how governments and corporations have labeled nonviolent activists as “terrorists.” Counter Terrorism Unit surveillance documents described the book as “compelling and well-written,” underscoring the impact of his work.
His newest book, Little Red Barns, is the result of a 10-year investigation into factory farms and the rise of authoritarianism. The book has already been named one of Publishers Weekly’s most anticipated releases and received a starred review.
Potter’s journalism and scholarship have been deeply influenced by his roots in the hardcore punk scene, and he has collaborated with bands including Rise Against. He previously served as a Knight-Wallace Fellow and visiting professor at the University of Michigan and was named the distinguished journalist-in-residence at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
www.willpotter.com
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. She is also the founder of the Funding Blueprint for Sanctuaries summit designed to empower those involved with sanctuaries sustainable funding streams.
A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books, Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
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