Astroturfing with Patrícia Campos Mello

In this episode, Elizabeth interviews Brazilian journalist and columnist Patrícia Campos Mello, who first exposed the illegal use of WhatsApp mass messaging in Brazil's 2018 presidential elections. Together, they examine how politically motivated groups orchestrate fake grassroots movements—known as astroturfing—to manipulate public opinion and influence media coverage. Patrícia shares Brazilian examples to highlight the evolution of these tactics, from mass messaging operations to highly coordinated content promotion strategies. They also delve into the ethical and regulatory challenges that astroturfing presents for democracy.

Additional resources:

• Elizabeth defines astroturfing based on Digital astroturfing in politics: Definition, typology, and countermeasures by Kovic et al. (2023) and Online astroturfing: A problem beyond disinformation by Chan (2024).
• For additional context on the 2018 Brazilian Presidential Elections, consult: Vox's explainer on Brazil's 2018 Presidential Elections
• Patrícia discusses the tools and strategies used for mass messaging campaigns. For a more detailed explanation, consult: How WhatsApp is being abused in Brazil's elections
• Patricia's original report exposing the illegal use of WhatsApp mass messaging practices is available in Portuguese with an English summary.
• Follow Patrícia on Instagram @patacamposmello and X @camposmello.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.