Fake Grass Episode Two

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In this second post of Fake Grass and the Cyber City, be prepared to see three astroturfing case studies. They are quite different, and each other the question- are we savvy enough to detect astroturfing?

Deputy editor of PerthNow, Lisa Pendril, tells of her experience of astroturfing on her blog ‘From Lisa’s Lips’. This blog is available from http://blogs.news.com.au/perthnow/fromlisaslips. Her account was recorded at a Media Arts Alliance event at the Hyatt Hotel, 18 August 2006 with her permission.

The next example is from The Cancer Council, and was also discussed at the Media Arts Alliance event by a member of their public relations team. She did not want to appear on camera, so I have summarised what was said.

The final example is a famous investigation by a Wall Street Journal science writer. He discovered that an apparently amateur YouTube video discrediting Al Gore had the authorship of a large oil company’s public relations firm.

These are three very different forms of astroturfing that sought to simulate the effect of random, anonymous and unpaid online users offering recommendations that clearly had ulterior motives.

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Media, Images and People used in Episode One:

Music: GarageBand

Ringtone: From Optus Zoo www.optuszoo.com.au

Media: Nova 93.7, The West Australian, Harvey Norman and Suzuki television advertisements, ninemsn website.

PerthNow: Sunday Times internet publication [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006 from: http://www.news.com.au/perthnow.

Lisa Pendril: Filmed with her permission at Media Arts Alliance event, Hyatt Hotel on the 18 August, 2006. Websites shown during segment are her blog ‘From Lisa’s Lips’ [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006: http://blogs.news.com.au/perthnow/fromlisaslips.

The Cancer Council: Information taken from a public relations officer of theirs who wished to remain off camera. Website shown is The Cancer Council Western Australia [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006: http://www.cancerwa.asn.au.

YouTube Astroturf: Audio taken from Triple J’s Hack program. ‘Hack.’ (radio broadcast), Triple J [online] Retrieved 20 August 2006: www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/podcast.

Websites used:

‘Opinion Journal.’ The Wall Street Journal. [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006: http://www.opinionjournal.com.

Google [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006: www.google.com.au.

YouTube [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006: http://www.youtube.com.

Yahoo [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006: www.yahoo.com.

DCI Group > [online] Retrieved 22 September 2006: http://www.dcigroup.com.

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