Astroturfing
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The Koch brothers are known to have astroturfed to prevent the development of wind turbines offshore in Massachusetts."--Sholem Stein |
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Astroturfing is the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization (e.g., political, advertising, religious or public relations) to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by a grassroots participant(s). It is a practice intended to give the statements or organizations credibility by withholding information about the source's financial connection. The term astroturfing is derived from AstroTurf, a brand of synthetic carpeting designed to resemble natural grass, as a play on the word "grassroots." The implication behind the use of the term is that there are no "true" or "natural" grassroots, but rather "fake" or "artificial" support, although some astroturfing operatives defend the practice (see Justification below).
See also
- Front organization
- Internet troll
- Internet Water Army
- Shill
- Sockpuppet (Internet)
- State-sponsored internet sockpuppetry
- Internet activism
