hatchet job
Deliberately unfair attack
A hatchet job is a ruthless attack—usually verbal or written—intended to damage someone's reputation or destroy their work.
The image is of crude chopping rather than careful critique: The biography was a hatchet job, ignoring his achievements to focus on scandals.
Often describes hit pieces in journalism or politics.
Spread or defame
- defamationFalse statements harming reputation
- hit pieceDisparaging article targeting someone
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
- character assassinationDestroying someone's good name
vilification · mudslinging · libel · slander · calumny · demolition · savaging · assassination
Cruelly aggressive in nature
- savageFierce and untamed
- brutalSavagely harsh or severe
- ruthlessLacking any compassion
- mercilessShowing no clemency
vindictive · spiteful · venomous · malicious · cruel · mean-spirited · nasty · poisonous
Unfairly weighted toward one
- unfairUnjust or partial
- prejudicedBiased against a group
- partisanBiased toward one side
- skewedAsymmetrically shifted
slanted · tendentious · distorted · jaundiced · unbalanced · selective · misleading · misrepresentative
smear
Spread or defame
- defamationFalse statements harming reputation
- hit pieceDisparaging article targeting someone
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
character assassination · vilification · mudslinging · libel · slander · calumny · demolition · savaging · assassination · broadside
vicious
Cruelly aggressive in nature
merciless · vindictive · spiteful · venomous · malicious · cruel · mean-spirited · nasty · poisonous · hostile
one-sided
Unfairly weighted toward one
- unfairUnjust or partial
- prejudicedBiased against a group
- partisanBiased toward one side
skewed · slanted · tendentious · distorted · jaundiced · unbalanced · selective · misleading · misrepresentative · cherry-picked
exposé
Investigative journalism piece
- hit pieceDisparaging article targeting someone
- tabloidSensationalist newspaper format
- editorialPublication's official viewpoint article
column · profile · review · article · op-ed · report · puff piece · spin · leak · anonymous source
- dirty tacticsdirty trick, dirty tricks, dirty pool, foul play, cheap shot
- music criticismcritic, album reviews, critique, review score, album review
- smear tacticssmear, smear campaign, mudslinging, attack ads, hit piece
- reviewsreview, reviews, rating, ratings, critic
- tricksmagic trick, card trick, card tricks, coin trick, rope trick
- false accusationsfalse accusation, false charge, false claim, wrongful accusation, bum rap
hatchet jobpuff piece
Fawning, uncritical article
hagiography · glowing tribute · panegyric · encomium · eulogy