Fox News Reportedly Used Spy Tactics To Sway Public Opinion

[Judi Lynn]

Fox News Reportedly Used Spy Tactics To Sway Public Opinion
Geoffrey Ingersoll 13 minutes ago

There's a strange subterranean world where Fox News and military intelligence meets, and that's in the comments section.

Utilizing something called sock puppets — fake social media or Internet personas — Fox's public relations specialists were allegedly expected to counter "negative" or "even neutral" commentary on posts about the network, NPR media reporter David Folkenflik claims in his forthcoming book, "Murdoch's World."

They even reportedly used common counterintelligence tactics in order to mask their cyber footsteps.

Liberal Media watchdog Media Matters highlighted one paragraph in particular that sums up the practice:

One former staffer recalled using twenty different aliases to post pro-Fox rants. Another had one hundred. Several employees had to acquire a cell phone thumb drive to provide a wireless broadband connection that could not be traced back to a Fox News or News Corp account. Another used an AOL dial-up connection, even in the age of widespread broadband access, on the rationale it would be harder to pinpoint its origins. Old laptops were distributed for these cyber operations. Even blogs with minor followings were reviewed to ensure no claim went unchecked.

More:
http://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-used-spy-tactics-to-sway-public-opinion-2013-10#ixzz2iOVmqaY3

[Cirque du So-What]

1. 'Even blogs with minor followings were reviewed to ensure no claim went unchecked.'

That would seem to affirm the notion that these shitweasels have infested DU for some time. Many can now feel vindicated from accusations of being 'troll hunters.'

[underpants]

2. I think the right does this with google too

There are articles that I could find no problem on page 1 of a google search that now are buried past page 3 -- no one goes past 2 (at the most) on a google search.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Hey, I lost track--

Who's being Will Pitt this week?