CARP Conferences

2027 Conference

We are pleased to invite you to the 6th CARP Conference, centered on the theme of Character Assassination in the Era of Permanent Crisis.

  • Dates: May 13–15, 2027
  • Location: Department of International and European Studies, University of Piraeus, 80 Karaoli & Dimitriou Str., 185 34, Piraeus, Greece
  • Host: Department of International and European Studies, University of Piraeus, Greece
  • Co-Sponsor: The Lab for Character Assassination and Reputation Protection (CARP), George Mason University, VA, USA
  • Abstract Submission Deadline: October 1, 2026

The 6th CARP Conference will be held in coordination with the 2027 Conclave of the Global Strategic Communication Consortium (GSCC), scheduled for May 16–18, 2027, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Scholars who are invited to participate and register for both conferences will receive a special discount on their registration fees. We encourage all interested participants to take advantage of this unique opportunity to engage with both events. 

Call for Papers

Please submit a 250-word abstract of your paper along with a 100-word bio as a single attachment by the deadline listed above to Sergei A. Samoilenko at ssamoyle@gmu.edu.

Character assassination (CA) refers to the intentional destruction of a reputation. This enduring phenomenon has appeared in diverse forms across all cultural, political, and technological periods. Tactics including lies, insinuations, and ridicule have long been used as influential tools in power struggles. In recent years, the academic study of character assassination has experienced significant interest and growth.

Western democracies are experiencing persistent societal and political conflicts that challenge social cohesion, contribute to polarization, and raise concerns about the overall stability of democratic systems. Contemporary global society is marked by ongoing liminality, where situations of temporary crisis have become persistent and long-lasting. Democracy and political culture are increasingly marked by incivility, where personal ridicule and unwarranted attacks are commonplace. Populist politicians frequently deploy character attacks to provoke reactions and dominate media attention. Moreover, under globalization, local communities have grown increasingly vulnerable to international scandals and reputational threats originating from abroad. 

Character assassination campaigns are commonly employed against both domestic and international opponents in political warfare, with strategic actors increasingly using AI and deepfakes to bolster their causes or undermine their opponents. These factors further intensify and reinforce the ongoing state of crisis normalized in today’s society.

While these developments appear distinctly contemporary, they resonate with longer historical patterns. Periods of political upheaval, from classical antiquity and early modern religious conflicts to the rise of mass politics in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, have likewise been marked by intensified reputational attacks and propaganda. A historical perspective thus highlights both the continuity of character assassination as a tool of power and how its forms and effects are reshaped by changing political and technological contexts.

We invite scholars and practitioners to submit research and works in progress that discuss character assassination, crisis, politics, and power from a variety of disciplinary and cultural angles. We welcome both theoretical work and case studies that explore this phenomenon across the globe and throughout history. 

Possible Topics:

  • Historical cases of CA during political conflicts, revolutions, and wars
  • Psychological theory and CA
  • Populist rhetoric and ad hominem attacks
  • International conflict and enemyfication strategies of CA
  • The weaponization of emotions in CA campaigns
  • Deepfakes, AI, and visual disinformation in CA campaigns
  • Strategic incivility and smear tactics in political campaigns
  • Memes, caricatures, and ridicule as the means of CA
  • Call-out and shaming in social media hashtag campaigns
  • Reputational brand attacks, brandjacking, and corporate scandals
  • Reputational security and CA
  • Reputation management, image repair, and inoculation strategies