https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GettyImages-1240940929.jpg Actor Johnny Depp smiles and gestures towards spectators in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, May 27, 2022. (Getty Images/Steve Helber) Was Johnny Depp's recent legal victory over ex-wife Amber Heard a victory the court of public opinion? CARP Facebook group members Nancy Snow and Rod Carveth offer two contrasting perspectives. By Deirdre …
By Jennifer Keohane Leadership vacuums beg to be filled, and the void in the coronavirus response from the Trump White House was black-hole-sized. As the government fiddled while the country was ravaged, tech billionaires stepped into the spotlight. Their philanthropic giving has raised ethical questions about undue influence on the government, but it is undeniable …
By Martijn Icks Social media have made public shaming all too easy. With great frequency, cries of moral indignation resound on the Internet, aimed at persons who have allegedly misbehaved or uttered disgraceful statements. These people suddenly find themselves beleaguered by digital torch-and-pitchfork mobs, ready to slaughter their good name. They are lambasted in furious …
Continue reading Shame on You: Public Humiliation as Punishment
By Sergei A. Samoilenko In March 2012, Teju Cole, an American writer, photographer, and art historian, wrote on his Twitter account, “The fastest growth industry in the US is the White Savior Industrial Complex. The white saviour supports brutal policies in the morning, founds charities in the afternoon, and receives awards in the evening.” It …
Continue reading On Western Paternalism, Suffering Others, and White Knight Syndrome
By Sergei Samoilenko This past Friday, Jennifer Keohane, Eric Shiraev and I participated in a panel on the topic of “Perspectives on Character Assassination at the Institute of World Politics in the historic red brick Marlatt Mansion just a few blocks from the White House. Our event was apparently “sold out” online, and we had …
Continue reading Highlights from Perspectives on Character Assassination
By Jennifer Keohane I want to use this post to share a bit of exciting news. I have a new monograph, released with Lexington Books, an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield. The book is available now on the Rowman website or Amazon. This project is the culmination of 6 years of archival research at the …
By Vasily Gatov Most people do not usually meet and befriend political consultants or spin doctors. Neither are they well acquainted with system architects and hackers – those who write rules of computer network systems and those who crack them. The overwhelming majority of the public gathers their understanding and perception of such professionals from …
Continue reading NETWORKS OF LIES, or How the Cambridge Analytica Scandal Worked
By Katya Beisel Yesterday morning, seasoned public relations practitioners, communication educators and university students from across the nation's capitol area gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. for a unique three-panel event focused on a variety of issues and current events within reputation management. Organized in partnership with American University's School of Communication, …
Clearly, a brandjacked and counterfeited social cause is a serious issue. When pinpointing and punishing a few guilty scapegoats is generally prescribed as a solution to a complex issue, there is less urgency to promote real structural changes. By trivializing the campaign, multiple influencers with vested interests stonewall the necessary development of numerous matters such as women’s autonomy, broken legal systems, and institutionalized structural violence in Hollywood.
By Sergei Samoilenko Many media and political analysts struggle to adequately explain today’s reputation scandals. Oftentimes, they attempt to grasp the recent downfall of powerful public figures only in terms of causes and effects of human activity. Clearly, personal motifs and emotions partially explain the nature of many scandals and accusations. In 2018, it will …
Continue reading The Declining Importance of Character and Other 2018 Trends
Character Assassination and Reputation Politics Research Lab 
