When the New Orleans City Council debated a proposal for a $210 million gas-fired power plant in 2017, something felt off about the public meetings in City Hall. At one hearing, dozens of people wearing orange shirts clapped when a speaker said something against wind and solar power and gave speeches in support of the power plant. After the City Council approved the project the following year, the local news outlet The Lens discovered that many of the audience members were paid actors, hired by a public relations firm for the utility Entergy to create an illusion of popular support for the project and convince lawmakers. “I think it had a phenomenal impact on public opinion,” one City Council member said at the time.
It illustrates how far companies will go to influence elected officials. Politicians have elections to worry about, giving them a general motivation to avoid moves that will be unpopular. In fact, one survey found that congressional representatives rated “staying in touch with constituents” as the most important aspect of their jobs. But behind the scenes, there’s a very meta struggle to sway... Read more
