Agenda Surfing

Agenda-surfing is a strategic communication technique that attaches the preferred messaging to a previously established agenda, whereby the waves of public attention can be metaphorically “surfed.” While the concept of agenda-surfing was established well before the rise of digital technologies, social media has provided novel ways in which to navigate public attention cycles, enabling actors to subtly shift narratives. The relationship between the agenda and the surfing message may be classified as benevolent/synergistic, neutral/opportunistic, or hostile/parasitic, depending on the intent behind this communication strategy. Moving forward, the practice is evolving towards connective action, removing traditional boundaries between actors and their agendas. With social media and AI technologies reshaping communication, the process of agenda surfing is anticipated to become more diffused and faster-paced, demanding adaptability from actors or groups seeking to employ the method to strategically communicate.