Finding an antidote: Testing the use of proactive crisis strategies to protect organizations from astroturf attacks

• Published in: Public relations review 2021-03, Vol.47 (1), p.102004, Article 102004
• Main Authors: Boman, Courtney D., Schneider, Erika J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Associations, institutions, etc; Astroturf; Communication theory; Crises; Crisis communication; Crisis response; Disinformation; Emergency management; Internet; Organizational reputation; Paracrisis; Propaganda; Public relations
• ISSN: 0363-8111; 1873-4537
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.102004

•An astroturfing attack, a form of disinformation, can harm organizations' wellbeing.•An experimental design study empirically tested strategies in response to an attack.•Attitudinal inoculation can pre-bunk disinformation by lowering crisis responsibility.•An attacker’s credibility can be lowered with pre-bunking, hindering persuasiveness.•Conceptual framework for proactive responses to disinformation attacks is proposed. Astroturfing, or the orchestration of manipulative propaganda campaigns, has become the center of conversations amid Fake News disputations. Exploring an astroturf attack as a paracrisis, this research investigates the effects of an attack and how proactive communication strategies can protect organizational outcomes (i.e., credibility, crisis responsibility, account acceptance, and organizational reputation). An online experiment using a U.S. adult sample (N = 597) was conducted to compare the effects of using pre-bunking, PR supportive, and strategic silence strategies. The study provides insights into advancing crisis communication theory by demonstrating the success of pre-bunking to thwart potential damage post-astroturf attack. In addition to expanding theoretical crisis response models, this research offers practitioners with advice that emphasizes the use of proactive strategies to pre-bunk disinformation.