Today, as in the past, character attacks abound. Words and images, like sharp psychological weapons, have stained, sullied, or destroyed numerous individual reputations. Ranging across the globe, from the Americas to Asia, from Africa to Europe, through the Middle East and faraway places, those words, stories, and images target presidents, prime ministers, senators, CEOs, diplomats, scientists, and celebrities. In an age of social media, rising incivility and growing polarization, character attacks only seem to become more frequent and devastating. Yet character assassination as a cross-cultural phenomenon is only now becoming the focus of academic study. In recent years, scholars from different disciplines such as political science, political psychology, communication studies, rhetoric, and history have begun to establish a common framework and methodology for the study of character assassination. This book series will not only further stimulate research in this quickly expanding field but also generate greater interest among readers globally.

Related publications:

• “Karaktermoord en media,” special issue of Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis, 134.2 (2021)

Forthcoming titles:

• Character Assassination throughout the Ages, Martijn Icks and Eric Shiraev (eds.)
• Character Assassination, Illiberalism, and the Erosion of Civic Rights, Andrew Armstrong, Edwina Hagen, Martijn Icks and Alessandro Nai (eds.)
• Persuasive Attack in Contemporary American Politics. On Donald Trump and the January 6 Insurrection Committee Hearings, William L. Benoit