After September 11, 2001, reporter Will Potter’s life changed. Potter, then a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, found the FBI standing on his doorstep.
The young journalist, rallied by the events of 9/11 set out to help activists hand out leaflets. That one simple act prompted an FBI investigation. Potter learned that he could be labeled a terrorist and the course of his life could be completely altered from simply being associated with an animal or environmental rights group.
Potter spent the next ten years reporting on and investigating the way politics played into the animal and environmental rights movements. In 2006 he testified in front of Congress to oppose gag laws that would stifle the rights of such activists, and in 2011 he published a book in 2011 about his experiences.
Since then he has reported on, and opposed, “ag gag” laws cropping up in different states. Potter is quick to cite Idaho’s 2014 Agricultural Security Act, a law enacted after secret footage of animal abuse on commercial farms was released. The law makes it illegal to film the activities of commercial farmers.
Potter notes that the FBI isn’t the only one involved in the fight against activism. He notes that the agricultural industry is behind much of the fight, attempting to quiet the sounds of dissent to ensure they can work as cheaply as possible, even at the expense of animal and environmental rights.
Potter hasn’t had direct contact with the FBI since that one incident nearly 15 years ago, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been quietly watching him and those he interacts with.
Potter’s story, and his investigations will now be featured on Truth and Power, a show airing on Pivot on Fridays. The episode will cover Potter’s story and the years he has spent investigating Big Ag’s influence on the political system.
Image via: Nation of Change
