Just learned a new word, "Astroturfing," from journalist Sharyl Attkisson who delivered this excellent Ted Talk at the University of Nevada. It refers to fake, grassroots forces whose job is to generate widespread support for a service, product, or agenda to advance certain narrative when confronted with inconvenient facts.
Their language is often charged and they "controversialize" those that oppose their views. Attkisson exposes and calls out the people in journalism whose "news" are actually "artificial, paid-for reality." This is a must-listen to gem of a presentation. Also, check out her book, Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism. We are living in dangerous times.
Still, forewarned is forearmed.
-Angela Valenzuela
No comments:
Post a Comment