Astroturfing: Blatant Distrust

Allison Pierce

ap287120@ohio.edu

 

The responsibilities of being a journalist and/or PR professional are immense. Truth, trust, and accuracy define only a few of the fundamental beliefs. As the PRSA Code of Ethics states, it is their belief that these values are vital to the integrity of the profession. Without these values being taken into consideration, one unethical move can jeopardize and place the entire conduct of the profession into question. A common issue found throughout public relations is astroturfing, leading to the manipulation and misleading of public opinion.

Originally emerged in 1985, astroturfing refers to the practice of disguising one’s message to reflect that of an organic grassroots movement. Being that a true grassroots movement is one made for the people by the people, astroturfing is an insult to the public, and in direct violation to the various ethical codes. Some of these codes, as provided by the PRSA, include:

-Honesty: “We adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communication with the public.”

-Independence: “We are accountable for our actions.”

-Disclosure of Information: “A member shall avoid deceptive practices”.

-Conflicts of Interest: “To build trust with the public by avoiding or ending situations that put one’s personal or professional interests in conflict with society’s interests.”

Picture source: Uprise RI

 

One particular case of astroturfing that had caught interest comes from McDonalds in 2008. As their Quarter Pounder sandwich made its debut in Osaka, rather than allowing for the buzz to come naturally, McDonalds paid 1,000 employees to create it. Those who were paid were expected to stand outside of the location, in order to showcase the eagerness of the sandwich. More on this story can be found here. While McDonalds eventually admitted to the recruiting ploy, they pushed it off as market research. While not directly related to journalism, this example goes to show how easily PR professionals can manipulate a situation. This type of distrust is the core issue of astroturfing.

Over the years, this malpractice has evolved to match technological advancements and trends, in order to stay relevant. Especially with the rise of the internet, astroturfing is easier to disguise than ever. Those involved should worry not only about the moral and ethical obligations, but the legal as well. From the traditional letters, to commercials and advertising, and currently social media, there is no telling where astroturfing will go from here. As this article states, while the ability to target these malicious actions improves, so does their sophistication.