A smear campaign is a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation of a person or organization using false rumors, biased statistics, and incriminating information. It is commonly used in politics and business for political or financial gain. Targets should be prepared to stay calm, maintain a positive attitude, admit mistakes, find allies, and question the motives of the defamations. The campaign forces the target onto the defensive, denying allegations instead of advancing their agenda.
A “smear campaign” is a collocation used to define an active and concerted attempt to tarnish the name of a person or organization. The attacker uses a variety of tactics, including false rumors and statistics, to question the morality of the target. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to discredit the target for political or financial gain. It is commonly used in politics and business.
There is a distinction between a smear campaign and a search for the truth. A sly politician or organization accused of misdeeds may accuse a newspaper or rival of a smear campaign to divert attention from their misdeeds. In such cases, it is up to the accuser to substantiate the allegations in order to avoid punishment.
Smear campaigns attempt to use information against the target. This often includes disclosing that information to the press anonymously. The information can come in the form of incriminating photos, rumors, and tips. Attackers in a smear campaign also employ the use of biased statistics or words taken out of context to suggest something entirely different from their intended target audience.
Scientist David Kelly’s last months are the portrait of a smear campaign launched against an individual. In this case, he was not being used to discredit a political rival, but to discredit someone who questioned government information. The information in question was a dossier on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction released by the Labor government prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Press secretary Tom Kelly, no relation to David, released a statement calling David Kelly a “Walter Mitty” type character: which is to say, he was deluded. David Kelly, under intense pressure from the government, appeared to commit suicide. As a result, the government that orchestrated the campaign launched an investigation into his death. The Hutton inquiry cleared the government of blame and instead heaped it on its rival, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Even the business world is not free from smear campaigns. In 2011, it was confirmed that Facebook had employed a company to plant stories defaming rival Google. The stories accused Google of abusing users’ privacy. The ultimate goal of the campaign was to tempt users away from Google and towards Facebook.
The biggest effect of such a campaign is that it forces the target onto the defensive. In politics, instead of being able to advance a philosophy or reform agenda, the defendant is forced to deny the allegations against himself, while the rival gets a free pass. This occurred during the 2004 US presidential election when the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth targeted presidential candidate John Kerry.
When reacting to a smear campaign, the targets should be well prepared in advance. Targets are advised to stay calm and maintain a positive attitude. They should admit mistakes, find allies and question the motives of the defamations.
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