Lady Freethinker (LFT) is a non-profit media organisation dedicated to exposing and stopping the suffering of animals, humans and the planet. Started in 2013, by global activist Nina Jackel, the organisation has created petitions that have collectively gained over 15 million signatures, directly saving animals’ lives, and putting horrific cruelty cases in front of government officials, industry leaders and other decision makers. We chat to founder Nina about LFT’s campaigns, and how they are successfully spreading awareness.
Lady Freethinker actually began as a personal blog, believe it or not. As a writer and journalist, I wanted a space to focus on the issues I cared about most, rather than simply working on what others wanted me to write about. I truly care about being part of a social evolution towards a more compassionate culture — this means thinking ‘freely’, beyond the norms of what is acceptable as being ‘ethical’. If we really think about it, these norms are far more harmful than we realise.
As a journalist, you learn to write for your audience, not just for yourself, and tap into people’s reactions to learn how to best reach them. That is so important in activism. Writing also taught me how to express ideas succinctly, which is an absolute must in the online communication realm.