Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) organization that is dedicated to the cause of animal rights and its stated mission is “to effectively mainstream the movement to end the exploitation of animals” (www.ourhenhouse.org). I realize that this is a polarizing topic, but my purpose with this blog post is not to proselytize on the subject of animal rights, but rather to analyze how OHH uses these tools in order to achieve their mission by their stated method:
Our Hen House
produces resources that you can use in order to find your own way to create
change for animals. Using video, audio, interviews, reviews, and the
written word, it provides daily updates on what you need to create change.
Changemakers come in all shapes and sizes –artists, grassroots activists,
academics, lawyers, students, business moguls, media darlings, etc. No matter
what your niche is, Our Hen House aims to give you what you need to be part of
a new world for animals (www.ourhenhouse.org/About).
It should be noted that the website serves as the main “hub” for access
to all of the social media tools and more, including a weekly TV show, a mode
of donating to the organization, a news tracker, and reviews and columns, as
well as space for member-created content.
Facebook
Through OHH’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OurHenHouse),
followers are notified when new podcasts or other content such as blog posts
are loaded to the main website. In
addition, links to news items of interest to followers, culled from various
other news sites, provide a quick way to access the most up to date information
including links to provide a “deeper dive” into a particular item. This format encourages engagement and the
sharing of information across the Facebook platform, information that may not
show up in a standard news feed.
RSS Feed
OHH’s RSS feed (www.ourhenhouse.org/shortfeed/default)
offers followers another way to access information quickly. Updates, including those which are also
posted to Facebook, are listed by date and easily accessible via applications
such as Feedly or Bloglovin’ as well as through smartphone technology via the
web. This RSS feed provides another
level of connectivity to followers who may not participate in other social
media tools such as Facebook or Twitter, or may not have time to search through
the main OHH website for the article they want to read or podcast they want to
listen to. Podcast
OHH’s podcast (http://www.ourhenhouse.org/podcast/) is a weekly audio show hosted by the founders of Our Hen House, Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer. It offers listeners an entertaining and informative view of the world of animal rights. The podcasts deal with personal stories of both Mariann and Jasmin, as well as discussions of news items and interviews with personalities involved in the animal rights movement. The podcasts are supported by donated funds, and has been named an official honoree of the 2013 Webby Awards.
These are just a few of the tools that OHH uses in order to spread its
message of animal rights in support of its stated goal. Recently a venture within the world of
e-publishing was announced, and the first work in that vein was released. The website also offers general information
regarding what animal rights and veganism are, and further information for
anyone who is interested to get involved.
In the world of animal rights, there are many voices, but I always
appreciate the voices of Mariann and Jasmin, as they offer measured analysis
and tone of what is almost always a hot button issue that tends to put people
on the defensive. Their use of social
media and outreach, and even the fact that they have “put themselves out there”
in such an open way is admirable.
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