Social media has been a game-changer for lobbyists and politicians, allowing them to bypass mainstream media and speak directly to their legions of followers. But are journalists also being hoodwinked?
Research by Dr Strong and journalist Fran Tyler in 2015 found 90 percent of stories published in a three-month period on Stuff and the New Zealand Herald’s website quoting 20 selected lobby groups did not contain any description or label, just their names. Dr Strong said this left the casual reader unaware of the interests behind any position they were peddling.
Who would guess the benign-sounding Association of Community Retailers was in fact set up and funded by Imperial Tobacco to protest tobacco-related legislation? It was a couple of left-wing bloggers who revealed this, embarrassing journalists who had been regurgitating their press releases uncritically without realising it was an astroturf – a fake grassroots organisation.
“Astroturfing is actually used a lot, even though it is considered unethical. But it’s not illegal,” Dr Strong.
