Manufactured Credibility: The Rise of Astroturf Media in the United States
(Above) A few recent headlines compiled from Slay News, a fringe website that recently pushed false claims about Singapore conducting COVID-19 autopsies and jailing the unvaccinated ahead of a Bill Gates visit — claims the country’s Ministry of Health swiftly debunked.
The Integrity Project
In June 2025, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a public statement debunking two widely circulated claims. One suggested that Singapore had conducted an autopsy revealing COVID-19 was a bacterium, not a virus. The other falsely claimed that new laws were mandating vaccinations and threatening jail time for those who refused—all supposedly tied to an upcoming visit by Bill Gates. The MOH clarified that both statements were categorically false, warning citizens against spreading misinformation. These stories had been pushed by two fringe "news" sites: Slay News and The People's Voice.
At first glance, these sites appear to be ordinary digital news outlets: clean layouts, articles with bylines, and a steady flow of content. But peel back the surface and a different picture emerges—one of conspiracy theorists, ideological warriors, or opportunists posing as journalists. This is part of a growing phenomenon in the U.S. and globally: astroturfed media, where fake journalistic platforms are created to spread misinformation under the guise of grassroots reporting.
The Anatomy of an Astroturf Outlet
Astroturfing, a term borrowed from marketing, refers to the creation of fake grassroots campaigns. In the media context, it involves fabricating a publication that looks and acts like a legitimate news source but serves a hidden agenda—political, ideological, or financial. These sites often publish misleading or entirely false content, designed to appear credible and trustworthy. Their success hinges on blending seamlessly into the information ecosystem, making it difficult for casual readers to discern their true nature.
A key characteristic is replication of mainstream design cues: bylines, "Breaking News" banners, embedded videos, social share buttons, and references to real-sounding experts. Slay News, for instance, routinely publishes sensationalist headlines referencing well-known figures like Bill Gates, often distorting or inventing claims outright.
The U.S. Media Landscape and the Rise of Disinformation Farms
The U.S. has seen a similar explosion in such outlets, particularly around polarizing events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. One prominent example is The Epoch Times, which has been widely criticized for disseminating COVID-19 disinformation and promoting conspiracy theories about election fraud. Though it presents itself as an independent, non-partisan media outlet, The Epoch Times has ties to the Falun Gong religious movement and has heavily favored far-right narratives.
Other examples include sites like The Gateway Pundit, which routinely pushes debunked claims and misleading narratives. These sites often cite one another, creating a closed ecosystem of information that amplifies falsehoods while giving the illusion of consensus and corroboration.
According to a 2021 study by the German Marshall Fund, many of these outlets receive disproportionate engagement on social media relative to their credibility. Their articles are algorithmically amplified due to provocative content and emotional appeals, which outperform sober, fact-based journalism.
The Mechanics of Manipulation
The goal of these sites isn't just to misinform—it's to shape perception by mimicking legitimate news. Astroturf sites use several strategies:
• Mimicry: Imitating mainstream journalistic standards in design and structure.
• Amplification: Using bot networks or paid micro-influencers to boost reach.
• Citation Looping: Citing other questionable outlets to create a veneer of legitimacy.
• Selective Fact-Use: Mixing real facts with misleading context to confuse readers.
These tactics can be highly effective. A fabricated article posted on a site designed to look like a credible news organization may get picked up by social media users, reblogged, or even quoted in mainstream media before fact-checking catches up.
Real-World Consequences
The consequences of this astroturfing are real and far-reaching. Misinformation about COVID-19 led to vaccine hesitancy, prolonged the pandemic, and cost lives. Election-related disinformation fueled the events of January 6th. And the trust gap it exploits has widened the divide between Americans who consume different media diets.
Blake Lively’s recent legal battle against director Justin Baldoni and his PR firm highlighted how astroturfing isn't confined to politics. Her suit alleged a coordinated campaign to plant stories and social posts portraying her in a negative light amid professional disagreements. Whether in Hollywood or Washington, the tactic is the same: create the illusion of broad sentiment when in fact it's being manufactured behind the scenes.
What Can Be Done
Astroturfing exploits the assumptions most people make when encountering content: that a professional-looking site must be trustworthy, that multiple sources must mean credibility. Combating it requires media literacy, platform accountability, and more transparency in online discourse.
Some progress is being made. Twitter (now X), Meta, and YouTube have all introduced measures to flag state-affiliated media and label manipulated content. Tools like NewsGuard and Media Bias/Fact Check help users identify the reliability of sources. But these are stopgaps in a larger, ongoing battle. Long-term solutions will be those that tackle the underlying behaviors and the structural, financial, and political incentives that allow astroturf media to survive and thrive.
The Singapore MOH's quick debunking of false claims tied to fake news sites serves as a reminder: the tools of modern misinformation are polished, professional, and persistent. The U.S. media landscape is increasingly vulnerable to these tactics, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Recognizing and resisting astroturfed media is essential to preserving public trust, democratic discourse, and an informed society.
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