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How Factory Farms Criminalized Journalism to Block Viral Videos of Animal Cruelty
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Rolling Stone
Posted: March 14th, 2026
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/fact...
Investigative journalist Will Potter ... turns his lens on one of the most secretive and violent industries in the United States: factory farming. Little Red Barns is the product of a decade-long investigation into the hidden world of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations — massive industrial sites where most meat, dairy, and eggs in the U.S. are produced. As a new wave of investigators began exposing the cruelty and pollution inside these facilities ... the industry fought back. Agricultural trade groups quietly drafted and lobbied for so-called “ag-gag” laws: legislation that makes it a crime for anyone, including journalists, to document what happens behind closed doors. Some ag-gag bills were literally written by the industry. In Idaho, for example, Mercy for Animals exposed Bettencourt Dairy, the state’s largest dairy farm and a major supplier for Burger King and Kraft. Workers were shown dragging cows with chains around their necks and repeatedly punching them in the face. Footage was later released that showed workers sexually abusing animals. Publicly, Bettencourt said the farm has “zero tolerance for animal abuse in our dairies.” Privately, he and the state’s $2.5 billion dairy industry lobbied for a new ag-gag law that prohibited “audio or video recording” on an agricultural facility. It also made it illegal to “obtain records” without the farm owner’s consent. Dan Steenson, a registered lobbyist for the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, had drafted the ag-gag bill.
Note: In 2019, investigative reporting and court records showed that the FBI collaborated with the factory farming industry to place animal rights activists under weapons-of-mass-destruction (WMD) investigative frameworks, exploring criminal charges—including attempted use of a WMD—that could carry life sentences despite the absence of conventional weapons or mass casualties. For more along these lines, read our concise summaries of news articles on factory farming.
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