Editing Character assassination

{{Short description|Deliberate effort to damage an individual's reputation or credibility}}
{{rewrite|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}

'''Character assassination''' ('''CA''') is a deliberate and sustained effort to damage the [[reputation]] or [[credibility]] of an individual.<ref name="IcksShiraev2014">{{cite book |editor1-last=Icks |editor1-first=Martijn |editor2-last=Shiraev |editor2-first=Eric |title=Character Assassination Throughout the Ages |date=2014 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan | isbn=978-1-349-48512-3}}</ref> The term ''character assassination'' became popular around 1930.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=character+assassination&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1900&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4;,character+assassination;,c0;,s0;;character+assassination;,c0;;Character+assassination;,c0;;Character+Assassination;,c0|title=Google Ngram Viewer|website=books.google.com|access-date=21 March 2018}}</ref> This concept, as a subject of scholarly study, was originally introduced by Davis (1950)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Jerome |title=Character assassination |date=1950 |publisher=Philosophical Library |location=New York}}</ref> in a collection of essays revealing the dangers of political [[smear campaign]]s. Six decades later Icks and Shiraev (2014)<ref name="IcksShiraev2014" /> rejuvenated the term and revived academic interest by addressing and comparing a variety of historical character-assassination events.

==Studying CA==
Icks and Shiraev (2014)<ref name="IcksShiraev2014" /> address several political science models to explain character assassination from the attacker's point of view. They believe that the attacker's motivation is often based on the intent to destroy the target psychologically, or to reduce their public support or chances to succeed in a political competition. For example, during elections, attacks are often used to sway undecided voters, create uncertainty with tentative voters, or prevent defections of supporters. These attacks therefore become an effective means of manipulating voters toward a desirable action. They also facilitate the repositioning of originally favorable supporters to the ranks of the "undecided" or "uncommitted" voters.

== Narcissism ==
{{Main|Narcissism}}
According to Thomas, character assassination is an intentional attempt, usually by a narcissist or their [[codependents]], to [[Social influence|influence]] the portrayal or reputation of someone in such a way as to cause others to develop an extremely negative or unappealing perception of them. It typically involves deliberate exaggeration or [[Manipulation (psychology)|manipulation]] of facts, the spreading of rumours and deliberate misinformation to present an untrue picture of the targeted person, and unwarranted and excessive criticism.<ref>{{Citation | last1 = Thomas | first1 = D | title = Narcissism: Behind the Mask | year = 2010}}</ref>

== Psychopathy in the workplace ==
{{Main|Psychopathy in the workplace}}
The authors of the book ''[[Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work]]'' describe a five phase model of how a typical workplace [[psychopath]] climbs to and maintains [[Power (social and political)|power]]. In phase four (confrontation), the psychopath will use techniques of character assassination to maintain their agenda.<ref name=Snakes>Baibak, P; [[Robert D. Hare|Hare, R. D]] [[Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work]] (2007)</ref>

==In politics==

In [[Politics of Australia|Australian politics]], a [[Dorothy Dixer]] is a rehearsed or planted question asked of a government Minister by a [[backbencher]] of their own [[political party]] during [[Parliament of Australia|Parliament]]ary [[Question Time]]. While intended to enable a Minister to discuss or address concerns about the subject asked of him, a Dixer will often conclude with "Is the Minister aware of any alternative policies?" This addition allows the Minister to launch into often aggressive attacks on the opposition, which depending on the leeway offered by the Speaker (who is a member of the ruling party and thus will usually side with the Minister), can include not just attacks on Opposition policy, but attempts to character assassinate opposition members directly.<ref name=Parliamentary-glossary>{{Cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Parliamentary glossary |title=Dorothy Dix question or Dorothy Dixer |url=http://www.peo.gov.au/students/gloss_cd.html#D |publisher=Parliamentary Education Office (Commonwealth Parliament of Australia) |access-date=22 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517004818/http://www.peo.gov.au/students/gloss_cd.html |archive-date=17 May 2013 }}</ref>

Charging an opponent with character assassination may have political benefits.  In the [[Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination|hearings for Clarence Thomas' nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States]], supporters claimed that both [[Clarence Thomas]] and [[Anita Hill]] were victims of character assassination.<ref name="isbn0-415-90751-9">{{cite book
|author1=Walkowitz, Rebecca L.
|author2=Garber, Marjorie B.
|author3=Matlock, Jann
|title=Media spectacles
|publisher=Routledge
|location=New York
|year=1993
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780415907514/page/32 32]
|isbn=0-415-90751-9
|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780415907514/page/32
}}</ref>

==In a totalitarian regime==
The effect of a character assassination driven by an individual is not equal to that of a state-driven campaign.
The state-sponsored destruction of reputations, fostered by political propaganda and cultural mechanisms, can have more far-reaching consequences. One of the earliest signs of a society's compliance to loosening the reins on the perpetration of crimes (and even massacres) with total impunity is when a government favors or directly encourages a campaign aimed at destroying the dignity and reputation of its adversaries, and the public accepts its allegations without question. The mobilisation toward ruining the reputation of adversaries is the prelude to the mobilisation of violence in order to annihilate them. Generally, official dehumanisation has preceded the physical assault of the victims.<ref name="Rojas">{{cite book |last1=Rojas |first1=Rafael |last2=Blanco |first2=Juan Antonio |last3=de Aragon |first3=Uva |last4=Montaner |first4=Carlos Alberto |last5=Faya |first5=Ana Julia |last6=Lupi |first6=Gordiano |title=Aim, Fire! Character Assassination in Cuba |publisher=Eriginal Books |location=Miami |year=2012 |page=12 |isbn=978-1-61370-974-0}}</ref>

Specific examples include [[Zersetzung]], by the [[Stasi]] secret service agency of [[East Germany]], and ''[[kompromat]]'' in Russia.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bailey |first1=Anna |last2=Barron |first2=Sheelagh |last3=Curro |first3=Costanza |last4=Teague |first4=Elizabeth |title=Global Encyclopaedia of Informality, Volume 2 |date=2018 |publisher=UCL Press |isbn=978-1-78735-190-5 |pages=420–486 |chapter=Control:: instruments of informal governance|jstor=j.ctt20krxgs.13 }}</ref> It was also prevalent during the [[McCarthyism|Red Scare]] in the United States, being carried out by both the government and the media.{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

==The International Society for the Study of Character Assassination==
The International Society for the Study of Character Assassination (ISSCA) specializes in the academic study and research of how character attacks and character assassinations have been executed in both history and during contemporary times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://characterattack.files.wordpress.com/|title=Character Assassination|website=Character Assassination|access-date=21 March 2018}}</ref> In July 2011, scholars from nine countries gathered at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, to debate "the art of smear and defamation in history and today".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://characterattack.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/2011-schedule.pdf|title=Character Assassination: The Art of Defamation Throughout the Ages. International Colloquium Heidelberg July 21st - July 23rd, 2011}}</ref> They formed a group to study character assassination throughout the ages. The group included historians, political scientists, and political psychologists.<ref>The International Society for the Study of Character Assassination https://characterattack.wordpress.com</ref>

==Research Lab for Character Assassination and Reputation Politics==
Founded in 2016 in cooperation with the ISSCA, the Research Lab for Character Assassination and Reputation Politics (CARP) includes scholars with disciplinary homes in psychology, history, communication and public relations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Research Lab for Character Assassination and Reputation Politics |url=https://communication.gmu.edu/research-and-centers/carp |website=Department of Communication |publisher=George Mason University |access-date=28 April 2019}}</ref> With investigators from [[George Mason University]], the [[University of Baltimore]], and the [[University of Amsterdam]], the CARP team focuses efforts along three main dimensions: research on historical and contemporary examples of character assassination; education for academic and public audiences about character assassination causes, impacts and prevention; and risk assessment to determine vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies for public figures concerned about their reputations. The Mason CARP website features materials about the lab and its activities. The CARP Lab additionally publishes a blog<ref>{{cite web |title=Blog |url=https://carplab.wordpress.com/blog/ |website=Character Assassination and Reputation Politics Research Lab |publisher=Wordpress |access-date=28 April 2019}}</ref> and is affiliated<ref>{{cite web |title=Character assassination (Global) |url=http://www.in-formality.com/wiki/index.php?title=Character_assassination_(Global) |website=Global Informality Project |publisher=MediaWiki |access-date=28 April 2019}}</ref> with the Global Informality Project, a leading online resource for the world's open secrets, unwritten rules and hidden practices, broadly defined as "ways of getting things done."<ref>{{cite web |title=Global Informality Project |url=http://www.in-formality.com/wiki/index.php?title=Global_Informality_Project |website=Global Informality Project |publisher=MediaWiki}}</ref>

In 2017 and 2019, CARP hosted two international conferences that welcomed numerous U.S. and international researchers and academics studying different aspects of CA. The proceedings and report of the CARP 2017 conference "Character Assassination in Theory and Practice" can be found on the Mason website.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Icks |first1=Martijn |last2=Keohane |first2=Jennifer |last3=Samoilenko |first3=Sergei |last4=Shiraev |first4=Eric |title=Character Assassination in Theory and Practice |date=2017 |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/chssweb/documents/25632/original/Final_CARP_Report.pdf?1500493596 |access-date=28 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2017 Conference |url=https://communication.gmu.edu/research-and-centers/carp/2017-conference |department=Department of Communication, College of Humanities and Social Sciences |publisher=George Mason University |access-date=28 April 2019}}</ref>

The CARP 2019 conference "Character Assassination and Populism: Challenges and Responses" featured critical input from practitioners in crisis management, journalism, and public relations. The event attracted scholars from twenty countries around the world.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aburdeineh |first1=Mariam |title=Character assassination conference promotes dialogue aimed at solutions |url=https://www2.gmu.edu/news/575491 |access-date=28 April 2019 |department=News at Mason |publisher=George Mason University |date=14 March 2019}}</ref>

In 2019, the CARP Lab published its first handbook titled "Routledge Handbook of Character Assassination and Reputation Management".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Samoilenko |first1=Sergei |last2=Icks |first2=Martijn |last3=Keohane |first3=Jennifer |last4=Shiraev |first4=Eric |title=Routledge Handbook of Character Assassination and Reputation Management |date=2019 |publisher=Routledge |location=UK |isbn=978-1138556584 |edition=1st}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Psychology}}
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Black propaganda]]
* ''[[Damnatio memoriae]]''
* [[Corporate sociopolitical activism]]
* [[Fair game (Scientology)]]
* [[Go woke, go broke]]
* [[Hollywood blacklist]]
* [[Information warfare]]
* ''[[Kompromat]]''
* [[McCarthyism]]
* [[Noisy investigation]]
* ''[[Pittura infamante]]''
* [[Smear campaign]]
* [[Social undermining]]
* [[Personal attack]]
* [[Tone policing]]
* ''[[Zersetzung]]''
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Abuse}}
{{Bullying}}
{{Media manipulation}}
{{Manipulation (psychology)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Character assassination}}
[[Category:Abuse]]
[[Category:Aggression]]
[[Category:Defamation]]
[[Category:Harassment and bullying]]
[[Category:Journalism ethics]]
[[Category:Moral psychology]]
[[Category:Narcissism]]
[[Category:Political campaign techniques]]
[[Category:Political metaphors]]
[[Category:Psychological abuse]]
[[Category:Tabloid journalism]]