Keyword – smear

Bajomi-Lázár, Péter:

Smear vs. scandal: What is the difference?

Smear is often mistaken for scandal, as the two indeed share a number of similarities. Both expose alleged transgressions of social and legal norms, both are made public by the media, and both may harm one’s reputation. Smear, however, is widely seen as a malicious practice, while scandal—or, more precisely, political scandal—is generally accepted as a legitimate and necessary instance of democratic journalism. How can one tell smear from scandal, if at all? This paper attempts to delineate and to distinguish these two concepts. It argues that the former practice is an instance of lapdog journalism, whereas the latter is one of watchdog journalism.

Keywords: Hungarian media, journalism ethics, political ritual, scandal, smear