Astroturf and Manipulation of Media Messages (Video)
October 31, 2015
Comments
In this eye-opening TEDx Talk, veteran investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson shows how astroturf, or fake grassroots movements funded by political, corporate, or other special interests, very effectively manipulate and distort media messages…
“Hallmarks of astroturf include use of inflammatory language such as ‘crank’, ‘quack’, ‘nutty’, ‘lies’, ‘paranoid’, ‘pseudo-‘, and ‘conspiracy’. Astroturfers often claim to ‘debunk myths’ that aren’t myths at all. Use of the charged language tests well. People hear something’s a myth — maybe they find it on Snopes — and they instantly declare themselves too smart to fall for it. But what if the whole notion of the myth is itself a myth and you and Snopes fell for that? [Snopes ‘attempts’ to give accurate information about rumors and urban legends on a variety of topics, though its own credibility and reliability have and should be questioned.]”
—Sharyl Attkisson
