[Commlist] CFP: CARP 6 Conference: Character Assassination in the Era of Permanent Crisis

CARP 6 Conference: "Character Assassination in the Era of Permanent 
Crisis" Dates: May 13-15, 2027

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
Location: 80 Karaoli & Dimitriou Str., 185 34, Piraeus, Greece

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

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