Trading up the chain explained

Trading up the chain is a marketing and propaganda tactic of deliberately inducing circular reporting, by seeding a message or claim in a less-credible medium, with the intent of it being quoted and repeated by publications (or people) who appeal to a wider audience. Those more-authoritative sources are then cited, to build up the message's credibility and publicize it further.^{[1] [2]} Trading up the chain can be a tactic for disinformation and media manipulation.^[3]

The term was publicized by the author and marketer Ryan Holiday, who described its use in marketing and politics.^[4]

See also

• Information laundering
• Argument from authority
• Disinformation
• Astroturfing

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2014-04-23. Trading Up The Chain: Mainstream Media Takes Cues from Blogosphere. 2020-08-16. Observer. en-US.
2. Web site: Donovan. Joan. October 24, 2019. How memes got weaponized: A short history. 2020-08-17. MIT Technology Review. en.
3. Krafft. P. M.. Donovan. Joan. 2020-03-03. Disinformation by Design: The Use of Evidence Collages and Platform Filtering in a Media Manipulation Campaign. Political Communication. 37. 2. 194–214. 10.1080/10584609.2019.1686094. 1058-4609. free.
4. Book: Holiday, Ryan. Ryan Holiday. Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator. 2012. Penguin. 978-1101583715. en.