In this episode 4 in season 2 of the Persuaders Podcast we talk to Marko Kovic. Marko has a PhD in communication and media studies from the University of Zurich. He is now a researcher, author and podcaster. Marko co-authored the paper “Digital astroturfing in politics: Definition, typology, and countermeasures”, which is the basis of our conversation.
In the episode we cover:
- What is digital astroturfing
- How common is this phenomenon
- How is it performed – by governments, IO’s and corporations
- What it does to our brains
We also talk about misinformation, fake news and conspiracy theories and what causes them to go viral. And finally we talk about psy-ops & disinformation e.g. in wars like in Ukraine.
All this in just 30 minutes.
The episode is sponsored by Ulobby, software for Public Affairs.