What does VILIFIED mean in UNCLASSIFIED

Vilification is the act of publicly representing someone or something as base, despicable, or evil. It can take many forms such as verbal abuse, character assassination, and physical intimidation.

In some jurisdictions, vilification may constitute an offence under civil law, such as libel or slander. Depending on the severity of the vilification it may be punishable under criminal law in some countries.

Vilification is often used to discredit a person or group in an attempt to discredit their message or point of view. It is also sometimes used by public figures and political groups to reduce opposition by painting them in a negative light.

An example of vilification would be a politician making false claims about his opponent that seek to paint him in an unfavourable light and thus diminish support for him during an election campaign.

The rise of social media platforms has meant that more people have access to spreading information about others whether true or false which increases the potential for harm caused by vilification. Furthermore technology allows this kind of behaviour to occur on a much wider scale than before with greater ease and speed.