Jennifer White is the Assistant Press Officer at PETA- we caught up with her to talk about why she turned to a vegan lifestyle, what her role is within the organization and her new favourite vegan food.
Jennifer White
Please tell us when and why you first decided to become a vegan.
I decided to go vegan a little over a year and a half ago. I had already been vegetarian for a couple of years after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals - which I would recommend to everyone. After looking into the egg and diary industries further, I decided to go vegan because I realised that if I truly cared about animals, I couldn't support these industries which inflict so much suffering on them.
You are the assistant press officer at PETA UK, so what does this role involve?
My role is supporting the media team to maximise media exposure for the important work that PETA does. My day-to-day duties include sending out media releases, drafting media statements and answering questions for students who are writing dissertations. Every day brings something new - it's a very fast-paced and exciting role!
Why did you want to carry your vegan lifestyle from your personal life through to your working life?
I think that the expression "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life" sums it up pretty well. I believe in animal liberation, and I feel honoured to be able to work in an environment which supports that ideal.
How long have you worked at PETA and how did you land the role?
I actually started out interning with the digital marketing department last August, and when I saw that the role for assistant press officer had opened up, I knew I had to go for it.
Which PETA expose has personally shocked you the most lately?
The most recent exposé inside the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world - including the exclusive supplier of ostrich skins for Hermès' Birkin bags - really shook me to the core. Investigators saw workers slit ostriches' throats while the birds next in line watched helplessly as their flockmates were killed right in front of them. How horrific that must be for these sensitive animals. I encourage everyone to join PETA in putting pressure on luxury fashion houses to remove ostrich and other exotic skins from its collections at www.peta.org.
Why the press officer's role so important to PETA?
Through the media, we are able to reach a huge amount of people and make them aware of issues that affect animals. Unlike our opposition, which is mostly composed of wealthy industries like the meat industry, PETA must rely on getting free "advertising" through media coverage of our campaigns and demonstrations - and it's the media department's responsibility to do just that!
What is your most recent vegan food discovery you would like to shout about?
Oh, this is easy. I went to Ms. Cupcake - which is a vegan bakery in Brixton - looking for something for dessert and discovered the most fantastic Almond Dream mint chocolate chip ice cream. It tastes delicious and also comes in a vegan salted caramel flavour, so no doubt I will be returning this weekend for some more!
You share a lot of PETA's posts on your social media, so why is it important for you to extend the word both in and outside of work?
Most people I know care about animals, but they just aren't aware of how some of their actions harm animals. I know from experience that a lot of my friends appreciate when I share PETA posts on Facebook because it has opened their eyes to an issue they weren't aware of before. I think social media is an important way to highlight these issues in a casual, friendly way.
Do you feel it's easy to stay in shape on a vegan diet?
Yes, definitely! I love boxing and running and have actually just started yoga as well. I noticed that I saw results a lot quicker from my workouts after switching to a vegan diet, because I was no longer consuming copious amounts of fats from cheese and eggs.
Tagged in Vegetarian Vegan