Definition
A smear campaign is an intentional, premeditated effort to undermine an individual's or group's
reputation, credibility, and character. Like
negative campaigning, most often smear campaigns target government officials, politicians, political candidates, and other public figures. However, private persons or groups may also become targets of smear campaigns perpetrated in companies, institutions, the legal system, and other formal groups.
Smear tactics differ from normal discourse or debate in that they do not bear upon the issues or arguments in question. A smear is a simple attempt to malign a group or an individual with the aim of undermining their credibility.
Smears often consist of
ad hominem attacks in the form of unverifiable rumors and
distortions,
half-truths, or even outright
lies; smear campaigns are often propagated by
gossip magazines. Even when the facts behind a smear campaign are demonstrated to lack proper foundation,
the tactic is often effective because the target's reputation is tarnished before the truth is known.
Smears are also effective in diverting attention away from the matter in question and onto the a specific individual or group. The target of the smear typically must focus on correcting the false information rather than on the original issue.
Smear tactics are considered by many to be a low, disingenuous form of discourse; they are nevertheless very common.