5. Character Assassination as Strategic Communication in EU-Russia Relations

This chapter examines character assassination as a set of strategies used by conflicting parties in international affairs. Specifically, it views character assassination as strategic communication embedded in the context of political standoff. Mass media manufacture political conflicts by incorporating character assassination into their framing strategies and tactics. The chapter highlights differences between the European Union (EU) and Russia in their strategic application of character assassination, which inevitably contributes to the current geopolitical tensions between the parties. The authors advocate for future research into character assassination as strategic communication in the areas of international affairs, public diplomacy, and crisis communication.