PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

Sources in the Conspiracy-Pseudoscience category may publish unverifiable information that is not always supported by evidence. These sources may be untrustworthy for credible/verifiable information; therefore, fact-checking and further investigation is recommended on a per-article basis when obtaining information from these sources. See all Conspiracy-Pseudoscience sources.

• Overall, we rate PETA far left-biased and a strong pseudoscience source based on promoting false and unproven claims related to science.

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Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEFT-PSEUDOSCIENCE
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY

History

Founded in 1980, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. According to their about page “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters. PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.”

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

PETA is a nonprofit that is funded through donations. The website and organization lack transparency as they do not disclose top donors.

Analysis / Bias

In review, PETA “opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: in laboratories, in the food industry, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment industry.” PETA has been called “one of the world’s largest, most aggressive, and most controversial animal liberation groups.” Articles and headlines on the website are often highly emotional such as this WATCH: Mice Struggle to Crawl After Experimenters Crush Spinal Cords. Regarding sourcing, most videos and photos displayed on the website come from anonymous sources, indicating poor sourcing and a lack of transparency.

When it comes to science PETA has promoted that Milk is a cause for Autism. They have also claimed that beer is more healthy than milk as a way to protect cows. Finally, PETA is known for extreme measures such as throwing red paint on people wearing fur and for comparing “Livestock treatment to both the Holocaust and to the mass lynching of African-Americans.” In general, news reporting is not always factual and aligns with the far left when it comes to animal activism.

Failed Fact Checks

• “Each vegan spares more than 100 animals every year.” –  Mostly False

Overall, we rate PETA far left-biased and a strong pseudoscience source based on promoting false and unproven claims related to science. (D. Van Zandt 2/8/2017) Updated (12/20/2022)

Source: https://www.peta.org/