The session offers participants insight into how undercover footage from inside slaughterhouses and animal industries can be strategically released through mainstream media to achieve real impact. During the session, Els highlights several Animal Rights campaigns that have led to successful lawsuits, temporary and permanent closures of facilities, and ongoing legal procedures that continue to shape animal protection laws at the national level.

In Belgium, the first undercover slaughterhouse footage released in 2017 resulted in a criminal conviction for animal abuse and set an important legal precedent. Further investigations since 2018 led to multiple slaughterhouse closures, followed by several legal procedures. Animal Rights has exposed over 20 slaughterhouses in Belgium and The Netherlands over the years.

Beyond the investigations themselves, the session focuses on how stories about the animals – and the related undercover footage – are kept alive in mainstream media over many years. It outlines how relationships with journalists are built and maintained, and how campaigns are kept relevant and 'fresh' for mainstream outlets while keeping the focus firmly on the animals.