astroturfing

 

Astroturfing is a term for formal public relations campaigns in politics and advertising that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous, grassroots behaviour. Hence the reference to AstroTurf (artificial grass) is a metaphor to indicate fake grassroots support.

The goal of such a campaign is to disguise the agenda of a client as an independent public reaction to some political entity—a politician, political group, product, service or event. Astroturfers attempt to orchestrate the actions of apparently diverse and geographically distributed individuals, by both overt ("outreach," "awareness," etc.) and covert (disinformation) means. Astroturfing may be undertaken by anything from an individual pushing their own personal agenda through to highly organized professional groups with financial backing from large corporations, non-profits, or activist organizations.

Word origin

The term, said to have been used first in this context by former U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, is wordplay based on "grassroots democracy" efforts, which are truly spontaneous undertakings largely sustained by private persons (not politicians, governments, corporations, or public relations firms). "AstroTurf" refers to the bright green artificial grass used in some sports stadiums, so "astroturfing" refers to artificial grassroots efforts.

Techniques

A form of propaganda, astroturfing attempts to affect selectively the emotions of the public, whether trying to win a campaign, be the top music record seller, be the top book seller, or gain political support.

Astroturfing techniques usually consist of a few people discreetly posing as mass numbers of activists advocating a specific cause.

It has become easier to structure an astroturfing campaign in the electronic era because the cost and effort to send an e-mail (especially a pre-written, sign-your-name-at-the-bottom e-mail) is so low. Companies may use a boiler room full of telephones and computers where hired activists locate people and groups that create enthusiasm for the specified cause. Also, the use of psychographics allows hired supporters to persuade their targeted audience.

The online volunteer-edited encyclopedia Wikipedia has also become a tool for astroturfing.^[1] The creation of Wikiscanner, for example, has revealed attempts at manipulating Wikipedia's content by a large number of business, government, and special interest groups.^[2]

Examples

Early examples

At the turn of the 20th century, it was common to have newspapers in major American cities sponsored by local political parties. Some were open about this practice, but many of these relationships were hidden. Other examples include political "clubs" which front for voter fraud and intimidation, letter-writing campaigns organized by local ward bosses, and some union-organized political activities.

In one case, documented in the book All the President's Men, the Committee to Re-Elect the President orchestrated several campaigns of "public support" for decisions made by President Nixon in the period preceding the 1972 election, including telegrams to the White House and an apparently independent advertisement placed in The New York Times.

King Léopold II of Belgium used extensive astroturf lobbying in the US and Europe to facilitate his economic exploitation of the Congo. (Adam Hochschild, 1999)

Another case is that of Bolivian dictator General Luis Garcia Meza Tejada, who at the end of his promised one-year rule staged a televised rally and declared "Bueno, me quedo," or in English: "All right, I'll stay."

Manipulation of public opinion was also used in the Soviet Union. Political decisions were often preceded by massive campaigns of orchestrated 'letters from workers' (письма трудящихся, (pisma trudyashchikhsya)) which were quoted and published in newspapers and radio.^{[citation needed]} In Stalin's era, massive "public demonstrations" were organized against "the enemies of the people"; those attending were often forced or intimidated into doing so.

Examples from the 1990s

In 1991 a memo from PR firm van Kloberg & Associates to Zairian ambassador Tatanene Tanata referring to the "Zaire Program 1991" was leaked. The memo outlines steps the firm was taking to improve the image of Mobutu Sese Seko's regime, including placing dozens of letters to the editor, op-ed pieces, and articles in the American press praising the Zairian government. [1]

In 1998, Paul Reitsma, former member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, was accused of writing letters to newspapers under assumed names praising himself and attacking his political opponents. A Parksville newspaper had asked a former RCMP handwriting expert to compare a sample of Reitsma's handwriting to that of letters to the editor submitted by a "Warren Betanko", and then ran a story entitled "MLA Reitsma is a liar and we can prove it". For this, Reitsma was expelled from the caucus of the British Columbia Liberal Party and then compelled to resign his seat after it became obvious that an effort to recall him would succeed. [2]

Recent examples

• In 2001, the Los Angeles Times accused Microsoft of astroturfing when hundreds of similar letters were sent to newspapers voicing disagreement with the United States Department of Justice and its antitrust suit against Microsoft. The letters, prepared by Americans for Technology Leadership, had in some cases been mailed from deceased citizens or nonexistent addresses.^[3][4][5] Similar allegations were leveled against the "Freedom to Innovate Network", originally portrayed as an independent grassroots organization but web-hosted by Microsoft.

• In July 2004, RealNetworks tried to press Apple Inc. to open up their FairPlay DRM for the iPod with the Harmony plug-in. The work-around allows users to purchase songs from RealNetworks' Rhapsody and then convert it for use for the iPod. They also setup an internet petition "Hey Apple! Don't break my iPod" (www.freedomofmusicchoice.org) and slashed the prices of its songs to below that of iTunes. It backfired, as many posters reacted negatively and accused RealNetworks of astroturfing.

• In March 2006, a supposed environmental group called the Save Our Species Alliance was exposed as a front group that was created by a timber lobbyist to weaken the Endangered Species Act. The campaign director for this group is Tim Wigley, the Executive Director of Pac/West Communications. Wigley was also the campaign director for Project Protect, another front group that spent $2.9 million to help pass President Bush's Healthy Forests legislation which has been criticized for its pro-industry bias. [3] The Save Our Species Alliance web site portrays itself as a grassroots organization against the Endangered Species Act (the word "grassroots" is mentioned no less than five times on their "Take Action Now" page), but is criticized by environmentalists for being a front group for wealthy cattle and timber interests which consider Federal environmental legislation an impediment to profit.

• In March 2006 video game manufacturers faced over seventy anti-games bills across the country. Embattled, they established the Video Game Voters Network, “a new grassroots political network for gamers” which publicly portrayed itself as a populist effort to lobby State and Federal legislators against supporting violent video game-related legislation. In April 2007 in an interview on video game news website, GameDaily, consumer advocate and founder of the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), Hal Halpin, stated that “The Videogame Voters Network is very needed and wanted by the industry, but it's supported by the industry, so it's called "astroturfing" where our organization is grassroots and the difference in the two pieces of terminology is significant when it comes to legislators because they'll look at an astroturf organization as one that's backed by the industry; funded by them, run by them, organized by them.” The following day ESA (Entertainment Software Association) spokesperson Caroyln Rauch responded in a written statement, "...calling the VGVN 'astroturf' is not only counterproductive and just not correct, but it also demeans the passion and energy of its members."^{[citation needed]}

• Since 2006, an organisation calling itself the Palm Oil Truth Foundation [4]and claiming to be ‘an international network of social conscience and cooperation among peoples in industry, government, academia and the ordinary global consuming public’ has been campaigning to promote the use of palm oil in food, rubbishing negative health claims against the oil and pouring scorn on environmental concerns about the impact of the industry’s expansion. Oil Palm is an extremely lucrative tropical crop which has been accused by many NGOs as being responsible for the rapid destruction of rainforests and orangutan habitat in Malaysia and Indonesia [5]. The Foundation claims no industry links but is connected to the Malaysian Oil Palm Council (MPOC) [6] through their website. The Foundation’s operations are curiously coincidental with a large PR contract tendered by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council to counter the negative image of the industry in Europe [7].

• In May 2006, SanDisk launched a site called iDon't, appearing to be a blog started by individuals opposed to Apple's domination of the portable music player market. It was actually an advertisement mechanism for their own device, the Sansa e200. The website now redirects to the company's own lilmonsta.com domain. ^{[citation needed]}

• In August 2006, a science journalist for the Wall Street Journal^[6] revealed that a YouTube video - "Al Gore's Penguin Army" - which was claimed to be an amateur work in fact came from the computers of DCI Group, a Washington, D.C.-based PR firm whose acknowledged leaders all have ties to the Republican Party and whose client list includes ExxonMobil and General Motors. (See Al Gore's Penguin Army video controversy.) This hoax was discovered when journalist Antonio Ragalado noticed that the YouTube video was the first sponsored listing when he performed a Google search for Al Gore. The fact that someone was actually paying to have the alleged amateur film promoted was in itself suspicious.^[7]

• During the second half of 2006, American Airlines received frequent accusations of astroturfing due to its acknowledged support (including some financial backing) of Stop and Think, which was a Dallas-based organization that advocated the retention of the federal Wright Amendment ban on most long haul commercial passenger airline service at Dallas Love Field. Many opponents of the Wright Amendment believed that American, the dominant passenger airline at nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, had an overly cozy relationship with the management of DFW Airport and/or used highly aggressive competitive tactics against other airlines that serve DFW, and that for airline competition in North Texas to increase substantively, the federal government must repeal the Wright Amendment and let Love Field be an alternative to DFW for airlines flying long haul routes to and from North Texas. Therefore, these critics said that the Wright Amendment unduly limits the competition that American faces in the North Texas commercial aviation market and that American used Stop and Think to try to manipulate the public into backing the law – and, by extension, the airline's commercial interests – under a pretense of broad-based community support. Stop and Think has since been disbanded after the Wright Amendment Reform Act of 2006 was signed into law by President Bush, which is based on a compromise between American, Southwest Airlines, the Cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, and DFW Airport. Since then, a group co-sponsored by Southwest and American advocating Love Field improvements called the Love Field Initiative has replaced Stop and Think.

• In July 2006, an article by Vladimir Socor, a veteran analyst of east European affairs for the Jamestown Foundation, claimed that a report on Transnistria issued by the International Council for Democratic Institutions and State Sovereignty, "State Sovereignty of Pridnestrovie (PMR) under international law", was a Russian-sponsored attempt at disinformation. A spokesperson for the organization, Megan Stephenson, has denied these charges.^[8] Shortly afterwards The Economist published two articles highlighting the ICDISS's lack of a physical presence and its disinclination to provide independent verification of its activities and previous existence.^[9] The Economist also reported that prominent academics cited as sources in the ICDISS report on Transdniestria disclaimed any connection with the organization. The Economist noted the Wikipedia entry for ICDISS created as part of the apparent disinformation exercise.

• In December 2006, the "All I want for Xmas is a PSP" marketing campaign by Zipatoni and Sony sparked outrage from the gaming community when it was discovered that the fake blog was in fact assembled by a marketing team.^[10] (See PlayStation Portable#Controversial advertising campaigns)

• In January 2007, it was revealed that an anonymous website that attacked critics of Overstock.com, including media figures and private citizens on message boards, was operated by an official of Overstock.com.^[11]

• In January 2007, an Australian writer revealed that a Microsoft employee had offered to pay him to edit Wikipedia articles regarding Microsoft products.^[12] While not specifically asking him to promote those products, the intent was to improve their image while concealing Microsoft's involvement.

• In May 2007, comments appeared on Forbes.com's Digital Download blog defending Iolo System Mechanic 7, a piece of software which had received a poor review. Those comments were later revealed as written by an Iolo employee.^[13]

• Wake Up Wal-Mart is an organization run by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which seeks to pressure Wal-Mart to yield to the Union's demands.^[14] The group's website pages are clearly marked as copyrighted by the UFCW Union, but public statements emphasize instead its "grassroots" nature and don't disclose that the UFCW runs the group.^[15]

• Wal-Mart Watch is an organization that is mainly funded by Five Stones, a 501(c)(3) organization that received $2,775,000 in 2005 from the SEIU.^[16] On their web site, Wal-Mart Watch discloses their association with Five Stones and notes that Andy Stern, the President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, is a member of its board of directors.^[17] The SEIU reportedly gave Five Stones $1 million in 2004 to start Wal-Mart Watch.^[18]

• Working Families For Walmart portrays itself as a grassroots organization, but was really started and funded by Walmart Corporation.^[19] It paid former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young to head the organization. Young created a significant controversy, when asked by a California newspaper about Walmart hurting independent businesses, he said that, "But you see, those are the people who have been overcharging us -- selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables... I think they've ripped off our communities. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now it's Arabs. Very few black people own these stores"^[20]

• In August 2007 Comcast Corporation's public relations representatives were accused of astroturfing by posing as fans on internet college team message boards in an effort to spread their negative views about the newly created Big Ten Network. At that time Comcast and the Big Ten Network were involved in very public and acrimonious negotiations.^{[citation needed]}

Campaign 2008 examples

• Truckers with Fred purports to be a group of truck drivers supporting former Senator Fred Thompson's run for President in 2008.^{[citation needed]}

Fictional examples

• Government astroturfing, as well as other sneaky tricks including an eleven-day war waged to distract from a sex scandal, are depicted in the film Wag the Dog.

• The satirical newspaper The Onion had an opinion piece entitled "I'd Love This Product Even If I Weren't A Stealth Marketer," which is written by a young employee of Pepsi-Cola who is paid to astroturf.^[21]

• In the Christopher Buckley novel, Thank You for Smoking, Nick Naylor mentions several astroturf groups, including a "Smokers' Rights" group made up of Hispanic smokers which was called "Fumamos."

See also

• False flag
• Front organization
• Spin (public relations)
• Sock puppeteering – a form of personal astroturfing common in Internet communities
• Working Families for Wal-Mart
• Viral marketing

Footnotes

References

• Anderson, Walter T. "Astroturf - The Big Business of Fake Grassroots Politics." Jinn 5 January 1996. [8]
• Astroturf. 17 Oct. 2004. Sourcewatch. 6 Nov. 2005. [9]
• Miller, Laura. "Powers Behinds the Throne." Center for Media and Democracy 21 February 2005. [10]
• National Youth Advocacy Assembly. Teens from Across the Country Rally in Washington DC to call on the Beer Institute to Honor its Marketing Code and Stop Targeting Teens. National Youth Advocacy Assembly press release, 27 January 2003.
• Odegard, Peter H. Pressure Politics: The Story of the Anti-Saloon League. NY: Columbia University Press, 1928.
• Rampton, Sheldon and Stauber, John. "Keeping America Safe from Democracy." Center for Media and Democracy 30 October 2004. [11]
• Shin, Annys. "FTC Moves to Unmask Word-of-Mouth Marketing." Washington Post 12 December 2006. [12]
• "Playing on astroturf," The National Journal, April 19, 1986 - 'the "grass roots is AstroTurf in many cases, artificial turf," says Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas.' - quoted in [13]
• DISPATCHES: Undercover with New Labour, "The Dirty Tricks Election". Channel Four (Hardcash Productions) first broadcast 25th May 2005. [14]

External links

• Primer on Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure from Center for Competitive Politics
• Outside Lobbying, by Ken Kollman
• Who Will Tell the People?, by William Greider
• Letters From Iraq from Sourcewatch
• Paul D. Thacker, "Hidden ties: Big environmental changes backed by big industry Lobbyists and industry officials who once pushed for the president’s Healthy Forests legislation now collaborate with Rep. [Richard] Pombo to alter the Endangered Species Act", Environmental Science & Technology, March 8, 2006.
• Wolves in Sheeps Clothing: Telecom Industry Front Groups and Astroturf (.pdf) a special report prepared by the Common Cause Education Fund, March 2006.
• Anti-Astroturfing campaign from the New PR Wiki
• Political parties and their use of modern media in obtaining information superiority
• StopRacismCa.com and FriendsOfST.com are two sites allegedly set up by The Home Depot corporation ( even though they deny involvement) to promote their proposed store in the Sunland-Tujunga community of CA. Both of these websites are very similar, are hosted by the same company, yet take starkly different approaches to advancing the business goals of Home Depot.
• Berman and Company a PR firm; owner and creator of many "Competitive Research" sites. Accused of astroturfing for hire.
• P.& G. Link in Amex Contest Raises Questions of Fairness, NY Times article on alleged astroturfing by Procter & Gamble in the American Express Members Project.

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