Smear Campaigning

Posted by Emily Putnam Emily Putnam April 07, 2022

Smear Campaigning

The term "smear campaigning" acts just as it sounds. To smear one's campaign is a deliberate and sustained effort to damage the reputation or credibility of an individual. The term refers to both the process of smearing the campaign, and the outcome of a damaged reputation. It consists of attacks of ones character in forms like spoken insults, rumors, campaign ads, pamphlets, cartoons, and tweets.

Some of the common targets of smear campaigning are social groups, institutions, public figures, and political figures and candidates.

The efforts to smear a campaign derive from tactics. These tactics are used to steer away from the topic at hand, and onto a persons personal traits or reputation. Smear campaigning is associated with "tabloid journalism", presenting little well research news and instead, using eye catching headlines with scandal sensationalism. It is also related, but not limited to propoganda, media bias, yellow journalism, and libel.

The results of smear campaigning are nothing short of brutal. Common effects of this are wide spread persecution, individuals that may be rejected from their professional community, individuals that may be rejected or shamed from their cultural or social community, and annihilation of human life as the damage sustained from smear campaigning can last a lifetime.

The beginning of smear campaigning began in the Roman Empire. Historians reveal there was common "character assassination" in throughout the Roman empire. If a deceased ruler did not live up to the peoples standards, they would model him as a bad ruler. Historical Roman writing reveals uses of the emperor's sex lives as a way to establish a bad reputation.

One of the first modern cases of smear campaigning occurred in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. It was the first wide scale use of the printing press. The protestant used the new technology of the printing press to their devious advantage, creating pamphlets using harsh words and images of the pope with demonic faces. These defamation attacks were made by protestant reformers against the corruption of the Catholic Church.

Our history is lined with individuals who were affected by smear campaigning. One victim experienced this in his 1804 election, where he ran against John Adams for the presidential race. Thomas Jefferson was suspected to "emancipate all slaves" if he were elected. He was alleged to be living with one of his slaves and fathered multiple children with her. Adam's people claimed his election would result in national promotion of prostitution, incest, and adultery.

Andrew Jackson was yet another victim of smear campaigning. He ran for president in 1828 campaign. His opponents dug up his marriage records to paint him as an adulterer, as his wife's previous marriage was not fully dissolved when they eloped. He was claimed to be "the son of a prostitute" and a "trigger happy brawler".

"Womanzier" Gary Hart was a front runner for the Democratic nomination until allegations of an affair derailed his campaign. Miami Herald reported that he was a "womanizer", while other news teams staked out his house. Hart claimed the stories were "inaccurate" and he was a victim of "character assassination" by "outrageous journalism". Hart was affected so badly that he ended up dropping out of the 1988 presidential race.

As time has passed, smear campaigning has only grown stronger, with advanced technologies and less patience and purity in our people. President Barack Obama faced false allegations that he was not an American citizen for years, while Senator Kamala Harris was falsely claimed as not being a "Black American", which was an attack designed to divide black voters. A Trump campaign operative created a website designed to look like an official campaign page for Biden, but filled it with GIFS and text mocking him. It was visited more than the official page.

Just 2 weeks ago, Former President Donald Trump is claimed to have filed a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and other officials for "smearing" his 2016 campaign.