astroturfing
AS-troh-turf-ing
/ˈæs.trəʊˌtɜː.fɪŋ/
The practice of creating a fake 'grassroots' movement to make it look like there is widespread public support for a policy or company.
Specifically involves hiding the corporate or political sponsors behind a seemingly organic movement.
The story behind the word. The term was coined by U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen in 1985. He noted that the mountain of 'grassroots' letters he received were actually organized by insurance companies, calling them 'AstroTurf' (fake grass) instead of real grass.
Word relationships
- fake grassroots: A literal description of the practice.
- grassroots: A movement that truly starts from ordinary people.
Commonly confused with
- lobbying: Lobbying is openly trying to influence officials; astroturfing hides who is doing the influencing.
Word family
- astroturf (verb): To engage in astroturfing.
- astroturfer (noun): A person or organization that engages in astroturfing.
Collocations
- corporate astroturfing
- digital astroturfing
- accused of astroturfing
Example sentences
- "The 'Citizens for Coal' group turned out to be a classic case of astroturfing, funded entirely by a single energy conglomerate." Investigative journalism.
- "Social media has made astroturfing easier through the use of bots and fake accounts." Digital marketing ethics.
Memory hook
AstroTurf is fake grass; astroturfing is a fake 'grassroots' movement. Fake grass, fake movement.
When not to use
Do not use for simple lobbying; it must involve the pretense of being a popular, citizen-led movement.
Fun facts
- The term is so specific to English that many other languages simply borrow the English word.
Explore more words
greenwashing, grassroots, disinformation, sponsorship, lobby, advocacy
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