astroturfing
Manufactured popular support
Astroturfing is the practice of creating fake grassroots support—manufacturing the appearance of organic public enthusiasm for a product, cause, or political position.
The term plays on AstroTurf, the artificial grass: astroturfing is artificial grass roots.
It typically involves paid operatives, fake social media accounts, or coordinated campaigns designed to seem spontaneous: The company was caught astroturfing positive reviews.
Intentional deceptive falsehoods
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- misleadCause false belief
- shamFraudulent imitation
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
fabrication · fakery · phony · fraud · charade · masquerade · pretense · guise
Organization funding electoral campaigns
- super PACUnlimited-donation political organization
- think tankPolicy research organization
- pressure groupAdvocates for specific causes
- dark moneyUndisclosed political contributions
advocacy · coalition building · campaign · outreach · special interest · front organization · proxy
Advocating to decision-makers
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- PRStrategic communication management
- media strategyApproach to public messaging
- agenda settingControlling public discourse priorities
psyops · shaping · steering · swaying · brainwashing · indoctrination · persuasion · maneuvering
False sustainability claims
- pinkwashingExploiting LGBTQ causes superficially
- advertisingPaid promotional communication
- marketingPromoting goods to consumers
- brandingCreating distinctive identity
PR firm · sponsored content · native advertising · shill · planted story · pay-to-play · crisis management
Made, not natural
Collective of connected people
- organizingSystematically putting in order
- activismDirect effort for reform
- bottom-upStarting from fundamentals
- genuineTruly what it claims
organic · authentic · citizen · movement · local · neighborhood · engagement · participation
disinformation
Intentional deceptive falsehoods
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- misleadCause false belief
- shamFraudulent imitation
hoax · fabrication · fakery · phony · fraud · charade · masquerade · pretense · guise · duplicitous
political action committee
Organization funding electoral campaigns
- super PACUnlimited-donation political organization
- think tankPolicy research organization
- pressure groupAdvocates for specific causes
dark money · advocacy · coalition building · campaign · outreach · special interest · front organization · proxy
lobbying
Advocating to decision-makers
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- PRStrategic communication management
- media strategyApproach to public messaging
agenda setting · psyops · shaping · steering · swaying · brainwashing · indoctrination · persuasion · maneuvering · coordinated
greenwashing
False sustainability claims
- pinkwashingExploiting LGBTQ causes superficially
- advertisingPaid promotional communication
- marketingPromoting goods to consumers
branding · PR firm · sponsored content · native advertising · shill · planted story · pay-to-play · crisis management
artificial
Made, not natural
faux · man-made · stadium · sports field
community
Collective of connected people
- organizingSystematically putting in order
- activismDirect effort for reform
- bottom-upStarting from fundamentals
genuine · organic · authentic · citizen · movement · local · neighborhood · engagement · participation · volunteer
- digital culturesocial media, memes, hashtags, viral content, influencers
- marketingadvertising, digital marketing, ad campaign, advertisements, ads
- wrongdoingmisconduct, crime, sabotage, crimes, misbehavior
- campaigningcandidate, campaign signs, canvassing, campaign manager, fundraising
- online actionsposting, click, commenting, tap, replying
- publicitypublicity, PR, press conference, publicist, press release
astroturfinggrassroots
Common people as political base
grassroots activism · grassroots movement · grassroots organizing · organic movement · community organizing
turf, astronaut, astronomy, astrology, astronomical, astronomer, turfed, grassroots, turfing