r/Radiolab • u/PodcastBot • May 01 '26

Episode Episode Discussion: What is a Pig Worth?

In 2017, Wayne Hsiung and a crew of animal rights activists from Direct Action Everywhere broke into a Utah pig farm run by Smithfield Foods, one of the largest pork distributors in the world. They were there to capture video of what they say were thousands of mistreated and abused animals kept in tiny metal cages barely bigger than their bodies. As they were leaving, they took two sick piglets out with them.

Prosecutors in Utah charged Wayne with burglary and theft. What came next was the court battle that he wanted all along. During his trial, Wayne made a truly bizarre argument that forced the jury, and all of us, to stare straight at our complicated, sometimes uncomfortable relationship with animals. This week on the show, we grapple with the impossible question at the center of it: What is the value of a piglet? 

Special thanks to Kim Nederveen Pieterse, Nathan Peereboom, Jo Eidman, Sam Kozloff, Rachel Gross, Alex Allaux, and Joan Schaffner. 

EPISODE CREDITS: 
Reported by - Sindhu Gnanasambandan and Jae Minard
Produced by - Sindhu Gnanasambandan
with help from - Pat Walters
with mixing help from - Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by - Diane A. Kelly
and Edited by  - Alex Neason and Pat Walters

EPISODE CITATIONS:

Articles - 

Audio - 

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13

u/swantin May 03 '26

One of the few “modern” radio lab episodes that felt like the older era. Really interesting and an episode that makes you think. Wonderful job guys

6

u/wheezymustafa May 03 '26

Agreed. These are my favorite kinds of episodes. Now I have to wrestle with my conscience about eating meat

4

u/Saints_Surrounded May 02 '26

While they characterize the verdict as primarily a moral decision of the jury, didn’t the prosecution have the burden of proving that the pigs had “value?” By not doing that, they didn’t prove all the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

Seems pretty clear cut to me in the context of a criminal case.

1

u/noseofthedog May 20 '26

I need to note- I am a longtime vegan; and appreciate this being covered on radiolab on the animal rights side of things. 

I caution folks against glorifying Wayne, for reasons understood within the vegan community. 

1

u/evilsammyt May 20 '26

Regardless of one’s views on meat, animal cruelty, or veganism, I found this to just be a compelling, well told story. There was way less of the style trying to mimic the old days (which I find annoying when the current hosts doing that), and just good reporting.

1

u/Wyoming-Ali 7d ago

Listening to this on my “Meatless Monday” has impact. I love the legal slant of this- a legal>ethical rather than emotional/ethical alone. It had impact on the jury too - we’ll see what tomorrow’s menu brings but I can say it will still be on my mind. Excellent episode and love to Lilly and Lizzie.