Whispering campaign: Difference between revisions
Sleepnomore (talk | contribs) only way to balance the article. if one political party is mentioned, its too biased |
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A '''whisper campaign''' is a method of [[persuasion]] in which the person or entity seeking to convince others to believe or act in a certain does not wish to be identified and frequently takes positive measures to avoid identification. It is generally considered [[ethics|unethical]] in [[open society|open societies]], particularly in matters of public policy. The speed and anonymity of communication made possible by modern technologies like the Internet has increased public awareness of whisper campaigns and their ability to succeed. This phenomenon has also lead to the failure of whisper campaigns, as those seeking to prevent them are able to publicize their existance much more readily than in the past. Whisper campaigns are defended in some circles as an efficient mechanism for [[underdog|underdogs]] to effect the powerful while lacking resources. |
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'''Whisper campaign''' is a term used in various types of [[politics]], when opponents of one candidate spread disparaging rumors through unofficial channels or without claiming responsibility for the attacks--for example, anonymous fliers might be distributed. As such, a whisper campaign can be considered part of "[[dirty tricks]]" campaigning; extreme examples might involve [[slander]] or [[libel]]. A related technique is the [[push poll]]. |
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===Use in politics=== |
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Whisper campaigns are frequently used in electoral politcs as a method of shaping the discussion without being seen to do so. [[U.S. President]] [[Grover Cleveland]] was the target of a whisper campaign in [[1836]] when [[Republicans]] claimed that Cleveland had fathered an illegitimate child while he was still Governor of New York. President [[FDR|Franklin D. Roosevelt]] was frequently a topic of whisper campaigns resulting from his support for civil rights and other topics. |
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===Use in warfare and international relations=== |
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The whisper campaign is an effective and inexpensive method of exercising the national will without actually engaging armed forces on the battlefield. Latin American leaders have been targeted through [[Information warfare]] questioning their masculinity and therefore ability to lead. |
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===Use in economics=== |
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Stock other commodity markets are susceptible to manipulation through whisper campaigns, including attempts both to inflate and deflate the price. |
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Revision as of 04:56, 2 August 2005
A whisper campaign is a method of persuasion in which the person or entity seeking to convince others to believe or act in a certain does not wish to be identified and frequently takes positive measures to avoid identification. It is generally considered unethical in open societies, particularly in matters of public policy. The speed and anonymity of communication made possible by modern technologies like the Internet has increased public awareness of whisper campaigns and their ability to succeed. This phenomenon has also lead to the failure of whisper campaigns, as those seeking to prevent them are able to publicize their existance much more readily than in the past. Whisper campaigns are defended in some circles as an efficient mechanism for underdogs to effect the powerful while lacking resources.
Use in politics
Whisper campaigns are frequently used in electoral politcs as a method of shaping the discussion without being seen to do so. U.S. President Grover Cleveland was the target of a whisper campaign in 1836 when Republicans claimed that Cleveland had fathered an illegitimate child while he was still Governor of New York. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was frequently a topic of whisper campaigns resulting from his support for civil rights and other topics.
Use in warfare and international relations
The whisper campaign is an effective and inexpensive method of exercising the national will without actually engaging armed forces on the battlefield. Latin American leaders have been targeted through Information warfare questioning their masculinity and therefore ability to lead.
Use in economics
Stock other commodity markets are susceptible to manipulation through whisper campaigns, including attempts both to inflate and deflate the price.