Speciesist Journalism: News Media Coverage on Farmed Animals and Care as a News Value

Abstract

Through framing analysis, this research spans a decade (2013–2022) of news on animal agriculture, focusing on the industry’s constituent bodies, farmed animals, to uncover how journalism operates with speciesism as a societal driving force. Findings indicate that animal welfare is framed as a scientific issue, while environmental news coverage downplays the struggles of these animals within industry operations. To conclude, the normative journalistic standard of accuracy is discussed as functioning primarily within an anthropocentric framework, while the news value of care is suggested as a remedy for social ignorance perpetuated by the press regarding farmed animals.