Character Assassination and Reputation Management: Theory and Applications

This lively book offers the first comprehensive examination of character assassination. In modern politics as well as in historical times, character attacks abound. Words and images, like psychological weapons, have sullied or destroyed numerous individual reputations. How does character assassination "work" and when or why does it not? Are character attacks getting worse in the age of social media? Why do many people fail when they are under character attack? How should they prevent attacks and defend against them?

Moving beyond discussions about corporate reputation management and public relations canons, Character Assassination and Reputation Management is designed to help understand, critically analyze, and effectively defend against such attacks. Written by an international and interdisciplinary team of experts, the book begins with a discussion of theoretical and applied features of the "five pillars" of character assassination: (1) the attacker, (2) the target, (3) the media, (4) the audience, and (5) the context. The remaining chapters present engaging in-depth discussions and case studies suitable for homework and class discussion. These cases include:

• Historic figures
• Leaders from modern times
• Women in politics
• U.S. presidents
• World leaders
• Political autocrats
• Democratic leaders
• Scientists
• Celebrities

Featuring an extensive glossary of key terms, critical thinking exercises, and summaries to encourage problem-based learning, Character Assassination and Reputation Management will prove invaluable to the undergraduate and postgraduate students in communication, political science, global affairs, history, sociology, and psychology departments.

Eric B. Shiraev is a professor, researcher, author, and editor of more than twenty books in the fields of political psychology, international relations, and cross-cultural studies. His multi-disciplinary approach emphasizes the role of culture and identity in social behavior and politics. He is a co-founder of the Research Lab on Character Assassination and Reputation Politics (CARP).

Jennifer Keohane is an assistant professor and director of oral communication at the University of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With other founding members of CARP, she recently co-edited the Routledge Handbook on Character Assassination and Reputation Management.

Martijn Icks is a lecturer in ancient history at the University of Amsterdam. He specializes in Roman imperial history and the history of character assassination. His book on the Roman emperor Elagabalus has appeared in three languages. He is a co-founder of CARP.

Sergei A. Samoilenko is an assistant professor at the Department of Communication at George Mason University. He served as a past president of the Communication Association of Eurasian Researchers (CAER) and a co-founder of the Research Lab for Character Assassination and Reputation Politics (CARP) at George Mason University. He is a co-editor of Routledge Handbook of Character Assassination and Reputation Management, Handbook of Research on Deception, Fake News, and Misinformation Online, and Media and Public Relations Research in Post-Soviet Societies.