Translation question clarification

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Maryna Vinarska wrote:

> As to the old standby "propaganda", I would say that "zakaznaja
> stat'ia" is the means of propaganda. Doesn't fit the context here. As
> to its sister "agitprop"... it's so heavily loaded... that I would
> also reserve it for another context... smth on some current processes
> in the western world. ;-) But I definitely like "The government
> planted a story saying that...". This is it. It's exactly the same
> idea which is behind "zakaznaja stat'ia". Interesting that this "to
> plant" is close to the Russian "posejat' zerno somnenija v chjom-to
> soznanii" that often aims at the conditioning to a way of thinking
> for someone else's benefit which is exactly the task of "zakaznaja
> stat'ia". Will save this "to plant a story" in my memory.

Another term in current US usage in this general subject area is 
"astroturf." This is "Beltway slang for fake grassroots organizations, 
corporate-sponsored groups that lend pro-industry causes a veneer of 
moral legitimacy."

<http://www.campaignfinance.org/tracker/winter02/FCC.html>

<http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=astroturf>
Definitions 1, 3

<http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Astroturf%2C+astroturfing>
(overlook the sloppy grammar)


And of course various political and industry groups create their own 
"think tanks" to sponsor "research" that accidentally on purpose happens 
to "prove" their sponsors' views are correct. An obvious example, but 
hardly the only one, is the Tobacco Institute, whose mission is to prove 
that tobacco is natural, healthy, safe, etc. One of the principal 
strategies of such entities is to plant articles in the media, which 
over time become "conventional wisdom" because legitimate researchers 
publish in obscure journals read only by their peers.

There was a scandal a year or so ago when a government agency was caught 
doing this -- anyone remember that? (I'm blanking)

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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