Attack on Reputation
Techniques that target the person or institution making a claim instead of the claim.
4,427 instances recorded across 5 techniques.
Techniques in this category
| Technique | Instances |
|---|---|
| Name Calling/Labeling Attaching a negative label to a person or group so that the label does the work an argument would otherwise have to do. | 2,148 |
| Doubt Casting suspicion on a source's credibility without offering grounds for the suspicion. | 872 |
| Guilt by Association Discrediting a position by linking it to a disliked person or group rather than engaging with it. | 1,074 |
| Appeal to Hypocrisy Deflecting a criticism by charging the critic with inconsistency, leaving the original point unanswered. | 181 |
| Questioning the Reputation Attacking the character of the person making an argument instead of the argument. | 152 |
Recent examples
"The embassy said the US has always touted democratic values and freedom, yet it cannot tolerate the normal survival and development of a foreign private enterprise in a third country, fully exposing its hypocritical nature."
This contrasts the US's self-proclaimed values with its actions regarding Huawei, accusing it of hypocrisy for promoting freedom while restricting a foreign company’s operations, thereby undermining its credibility rather than addressing the substance of its security concerns.
China firmly opposes US moves blocking normal cooperation between Argentine firms and Huawei: embassy"stop its hegemonic acts and political manipulation"
The term 'hegemonic acts' associates US foreign policy with imperial dominance and illegitimate control, linking it to a broader negative geopolitical framework to discredit specific actions without detailing evidence of hegemony in this case.
China firmly opposes US moves blocking normal cooperation between Argentine firms and Huawei: embassy"Zelensky targeted the former defense minister due to his growing popularity and infighting over lucrative weapons contracts"
Introduces unsubstantiated speculation about Zelensky’s motives for dismissing a minister, suggesting personal and corrupt reasons rather than strategic or policy-based ones. This questions the credibility and integrity of a political leader without presenting evidence, thereby casting doubt on his leadership.
Kiev used virtually all NATO tools against Russia – ex-top general"Any form of state control over international waters is against international law"
Associates Iran’s proposed role with a general violation of international law, implying that Iran’s involvement equates to illegitimate control, even though the article notes Iran insists any arrangement will be 'in line with applicable international law.' The statement frames Iran’s position as inherently unlawful by association.
An agreement on the Strait of Hormuz is taking shape – but not one Trump wants | CNN"El-Sayed, a Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel, is the projected winner in his race with the Socialist"
Trump’s statement uses derogatory labels ('Communist loser', 'Socialist') to demean El-Sayed and his opponent, reducing their political positions to negative stereotypes. The article includes this quote without immediate correction or contextualization, allowing the labeling to influence reader perception.
Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Democratic primary for Senate in blow to AIPAC"new militarism"
Applies a negative label—'new militarism'—to describe Japan's defense policies, invoking historical stigma associated with Japanese militarism to discredit current actions without engaging with specific policy details.
Chinese defense spokesperson slams "China threat" rhetoric in Japan's new defense white paper