Astroturfing

Astroturf refers to apparently grassroots groups or coalitions which are actually fake, often created by corporations or public relations firms.

Definitions
Campaigns & Elections magazine defines astroturf as a "grassroots program that involves the instant manufacturing of public support for a point of view in which either uninformed activists are recruited or means of deception are used to recruit them." Journalist William Greider has coined his own term to describe corporate grassroots organizing. He calls it "democracy for hire."
Senator Lloyd Bentsen, himself a long-time Washington and Wall Street insider, is credited with coining the term "astroturf lobbying" to describe the synthetic grassroots movements that now can be manufactured for a fee by companies like Beckel Cowan, Bivings Group, Bonner & Associates, Burson-Marsteller, Davies Communications, DCI Group, Direct Impact, Hill & Knowlton, Issue Dynamics Inc., National Grassroots & Communications, or Optima Direct.
Unlike genuine grassroots activism which tends to be money-poor but people-rich, astroturf campaigns are typically people-poor but cash-rich. Funded heavily by corporate largesse, they use sophisticated computer databases, telephone banks and hired organizers to rope less-informed activists into sending letters to their elected officials or engaging in other actions that create the appearance of grassroots support for their client's cause.

Examples of where Astroturf techniques have been used are:
- block the transfer of federal licenses that WorldCom uses for its long distance and Internet services by Issue Dynamics Inc. using non-profit groups like the United Church of Christ
defeat the Clinton administration's proposed health care reform, through a front group called "Rx Partners" created by the Beckel Cowan PR firm, and the Coalition for Health Insurance Choices, created by public relations consultant Blair Childs
- harass environmentalists through the Wise Use movement
- loosen automobile fuel efficiency standards
- support clear-cutting American forests, through a front group called Citizens to Protect the Pacific Northwest and Northern California Economy
- oppose restrictions on smoking in public places, through a front group called National Smokers Alliance, which was created by Burson-Marsteller
- generate a dossier of newsclips orchestrated by Edelman to assist Microsoft lobbyists to persuade U.S. state attorney generals not to join a class action against the company.
- Encourage people to buy Coke

There are campaigns to stamp out astroturfing but a lot of PR companies are using it to achieve their aims as shown above.

Sourec: wilkipidea & source watch.org