Astroturfing Concerns
The growing issue of astroturfing continues to press on the ethical issues that journalists have fought so hard to combat. Astroturfing is dangerous because of its root in truth, and how easily it can deceive and disguise to fit a narrative.
The use of astroturfing is ultimately to effect the way society perceives what issue the deception is based on. Those who practice this concept have a goal to get their community to support a political or economic agenda, which is hidden behind the guise of an actual cause.
The dangers of astroturfing stem from the issue that these so-called "causes" do not in any way actually benefit those communities. Astroturfing brings about a level of distrust within organizations that are actually trying to make change happen, because of the bad reputation astroturfing can give campaigns.
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| Picture source: unitedhumanists.com |
Ethically Challenging
Astroturfing contrasts one of the biggest ethical codes and values of journalists, and that is transparency and independence. Astroturfing continues to follow the latest trends of new software to continue to reach a larger scale of audience. This leads to difficulty in spotting when astroturfing is present or if a movement is genuine.
According to an article by The Guardian "Twitter and blogging have given a voice to millions and allowed genuine opposition movements to take their case to the masses."
This means that society is starting to understand what it happening, and wants to find ways to expose what is happening. The more organizations that get away with deceiving their audiences means more people give their money to corporations that hide where their funding actually comes from.
The idea behind making people believe that a company is being unbiased and transparent, when really they are doing the opposite, challenges the core belief of ethics. Ethics in Public Relations is there to keep honesty and truth at the forefront of buying, selling, and trade.
Further Harm
Because of the way astroturfing is usually large corporations seeking more money faster, small businesses and local organizations feel the setbacks that it causes.
With an already taxing year for small businesses and organizations, the continued rise of astroturfing will only harm them further. The more that people begin to dive in to who is behind ads and campaigns, the truth will find its way to the surface.
These campaigns try to cover their tracks so that people won't find out what is really happening behind the scenes, and many times get away with it.
One video from ABC explains astroturfing in the 21st century, and where it thrives. The video gives insight into how easily these companies can disguise their messages in immediate emotional response. Astroturfing thrives off of the rapid spread of information that occurs when hot button topics are talked about.
Ultimately, it is a good idea for communities to continue to ask themselves important questions regarding where their information is coming from, and how they can spot astroturfing in the media.
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