hit piece
Journalistic hatchet job
A hit piece is a journalistic article, report, or broadcast designed primarily to damage someone's reputation rather than inform.
The term implies bias and selective presentation of facts: The profile read like a hit piece, ignoring his charitable work entirely.
Hit pieces may contain accurate information but arrange it to maximize harm.
The label is often contested—what one person calls investigative journalism, the subject may call a hit piece.
Spread or defame
- slanderSpoken false defamation
- libelPrinted defamation
- character assassinationDestroying someone's good name
- vilificationAbusive condemnation of someone
denigration · mudslinging · calumny · aspersion · disparagement · false accusations · misrepresentation · fabrication
Investigative journalism piece
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
- hatchet jobDeliberately damaging criticism
- muckrakingInvestigative reporting on corruption
- yellow journalismReporting prioritizing shock value
tabloid · sensationalism · clickbait · gotcha journalism · editorial · op-ed · profile · story
Unfairly weighted toward one
- slantedAngled from vertical
- partisanBiased toward one side
- tendentiousShowing bias toward position
- selectiveChoosing with care
unfair · misleading · skewed · propaganda · spin · cherry-picking · loaded language · framing
Harm another's reputation
- tarnishOxidation discoloration on metal
- besmirchTo soil someone's reputation
- damageHarm or impairment
- undermineWeaken by stealth
destroy · ruin · impugn · stigmatize · blacken · harm · attack · target
Investigating adversaries for damaging information
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- rivalOne who competes against
- candidatePerson seeking selection
- electionOrganized public voting
dirty tricks · October surprise · leaked · anonymous sources · whistleblower · insider · strategist · spin doctor
smear
Spread or defame
- slanderSpoken false defamation
- libelPrinted defamation
- character assassinationDestroying someone's good name
vilification · denigration · mudslinging · calumny · aspersion · disparagement · false accusations · misrepresentation · fabrication · innuendo
exposé
Investigative journalism piece
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
- hatchet jobDeliberately damaging criticism
- muckrakingInvestigative reporting on corruption
yellow journalism · tabloid · sensationalism · clickbait · gotcha journalism · editorial · op-ed · profile · story · article
one-sided
Unfairly weighted toward one
- slantedAngled from vertical
- partisanBiased toward one side
- tendentiousShowing bias toward position
selective · unfair · misleading · skewed · propaganda · spin · cherry-picking · loaded language · framing · narrative
discredit
Harm another's reputation
undermine · destroy · ruin · impugn · stigmatize · blacken · harm · attack · target · victim
opposition research
Investigating adversaries for damaging information
election · dirty tricks · October surprise · leaked · anonymous sources · whistleblower · insider · strategist · spin doctor · damage control
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- defamationslander, libel, defamation, defamatory statement, defaming
- media biasmedia bias, bias, editorial bias, slant, partisan
- media ethicsjournalism ethics, media ethics, media bias, journalistic ethics, journalistic integrity
- smear tacticssmear, smear campaign, mudslinging, attack ads, negative ad
- vilificationvilification, vilifying, demonizing, demonisation, demonize
hit piecebalanced reporting
Journalism showing multiple viewpoints
fair coverage · investigative journalism · puff piece · hard news · responsible journalism
hit piecepuff piece
Fawning, uncritical article
hagiography · panegyric · tribute · love letter · encomium
hit, piece, hits, hitting, hitter, hitters, pieces, pieced, piecing