twitter's Journal: Telco Astroturf and Corruption Campaign Outed by Harvard

Harvard University's Nieman Watchdog group is decrying Verizon and AT&T's "sleazy" manipulation of public opinion and lawmakers by astroturfing and co-opting.

Over the last few weeks numerous groups have been lobbying and hyping the corporate position of AT&T and Verizon for relaxed cable franchise requirements or to stop any net neutrality legislation. ... What do these groups have in common? They all receive funding from AT&T and/or Verizon, and then lobby for them. ... The conclusion one should draw is that these groups, while they themselves benefit from the phone companies funding, certainly harm their own constituents.

The reason Astroturf, co-opted, and skunkworks groups should be 'outed' is simple these organizations have very deep-pocketed funders with lobbying groups, PR firms, and others to get them the loudest "volume" in the media or access to regulators and legislators. They often overwhelm the message of independent consumer groups.

This is how big telco convices lawmakers that they are doing what the public wants.