frontsleading
Frontsleading is a term used in political science and discussions of information operations to describe the practice of using front organizations or surrogate actors to shape public perception while concealing the involvement of the primary actor. In a frontsleading operation, a party presents messaging or advocacy through entities that appear independent, credible, or grassroots, thereby lending legitimacy to the underlying agenda without attribution to the principal sponsor.
Mechanisms often involve opaque funding, shell organizations, think tanks, NGOs, media outlets, or coordinated social media
Context and usage vary, but frontsleading is commonly discussed in relation to hybrid warfare, foreign interference
Impact and ethics are central to debates about frontsleading. The practice can distort democratic deliberation, obscure
See also: astroturfing, proxy politics, influence operation, foreign interference, shell organization.