Character Assassination and Reputation Management

Character assassination has always been part of human interaction. 

Character assassination means purposefully and publicly setting out to destroy the reputation, good name or credibility of a person, group or entity, with either true or false information. 

Attacks on the reputation of people or companies, including character assassination, occur across the worlds of politics, business, academic, sports and entertainment. Successful or notable people are usually the targets. In today’s social media environment, even members of the public may find themselves the victims of shaming, cyber-bullying and other reputational targeting. 

Throughout the ages, famous and powerful people have come under reputational attack. Egyptians essentially erased Pharaoh Akhenaten from history due to his religious beliefs.In 15th-century England, Henry VII unfairly vilified his predecessor, King Richard III, whom Shakespeare and various historians excoriated well after his death.

In the early 16th century, Martin Luther used the newly invented printing press to attack the integrity of the pope and the Catholic church. ...