Big Ag Gags the Freedom of Expression

Abstract

In the course of the past three years a wave of bills attempting to restrict freedom of expression has surged in statehouses across the United States. These bills reflect a political strategy within the agriculture industry to stifle public participation in industrial meat production regulation and oversight. This essay analyzes this ag gag legislation as a political strategy using communication theory. Specifically, the analysis compares the language and intent in the first set of ag gag legislation (circa early 1990s) with the most recent set (circa 2011-2013) and argues that the more recent ag gag legislation hinges on repressing the freedom of expression. The analysis finds message framing, pre-empting the public screen, and discursive closure, are utilized to prevent negative publicity and reinforce the boundary between private and public with problematic implications for democratic practices.