History Main / SlaveToPR

* The Conclave's leader Margaret in ''Literature/ThePsychologyOfTimeTravel'' will do anything to preserve her reputation and legacy. She ostracizes and ruins the scientific career of her co-inventor Barbara because Barbara's public breakdown made time travel look bad. She also installed psychologists in the Conclave, not to treat time travellers who become mentally ill as a result of time travel, but to weed them out before they can create another Barbara incident. The Conclave will hush up potential scandals by sending reporters death threats and subjecting employees who leak information to trial by ordeal.

->''"No, you need me. You wouldn't be much of a hero without a villain. And you do love being the hero, don't you? The cheering children, the swooning women. You love it so much it's made you my most reliable accomplice. [...] You could have crushed me anytime you wanted. And it wasn't the law or the will of the people that stopped you. It was your '''ego'''. Being a hero is too important to you."''

-->-- '''Lex Luthor to Superman''', ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E11And12ABetterWorld A Better World, Part 1]]"

* ''Literature/RebuildWorld'': Akira is an UnscrupulousHero type AntiHero and garners a ruthless reputation as TheDreaded in [[WrongSideOfTheTracks the slums]]. In fact, when supporting Sheryl as gang leader, right after first meeting with her gang, Akira basically asks her 'how was my performance'? Indeed before that, instead of walking in with her when she proclaims herself gang leader, Akira stalks outside to MakeAnExampleOfThem for the gang members who try to kill her in order to let his reputation keep her safe while he's away working. Eventually, Akira has a bit of a crisis when a KnowledgeBroker spreads a rumor about him being a PaperTiger due to his weak reaction to a pickpocket, which besides being stolen from triggering his TraumaButton, motivates him to get revenge no matter what to salvage his reputation.

This public relations mindset doesn't do much for the old "BeYourself, do the right thing, and don't care about what others think about you" [[StockAesops Aesop]]. It even gives the BigBad some extra leverage. A DiabolicalMastermind doesn't have to [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim shoot that meddling hero]] to get revenge for foiling that armored car robbery, [[FlawExploitation just give some incriminating shots]] of him trespassing to save someone falling from a burning building to the local paper. And if that [[TheCape Cape]] is a real pain in your neck, if you frame them for a crime, you can count on them not trying to break out of prison since they're bound to follow all the rules. It's dangerous being a Slave To PR. They should have become an AntiHero.

Nothing solidifies the Hero[=/=]AntiHero line better than this trope. Anti Heroes [[IDidWhatIHadToDo do what they have to do]], not what looks right. They do their own thing, whatever serves their purpose, and couldn't care less about what their reputation is. The town hails them as a hero for killing that drug dealer? They don't care. The cops are crying for their head on a pole for starting that street rumble? They don't care. They've been locked in jail while there are serious criminals out there waiting to be taken down? They'll break out. In fact, they'll often clash with the DesignatedHero over this difference.

Mind you, Anti Heroes ''do'' prefer a fearsome, rebellious reputation, but that has more to do with appearing brave and tough than good/evil.

** The Whole Cake Island arc also explores this with the Four Emperors. What hadn't really been touched upon in the story until this arc is that being an Emperor is as much about ''projecting'' an image of power and invicibility as it is about ''actually being'' invicible. Much like the World Government, the Emperors rely on their reputation to keep their respective empires in the New World, but whereas the World Government presents itself as competent and just, the Emperors present themselves as powerful and feared. They do this by killing or (usually forcibly) recruiting any that challenge them. [[spoiler:It is because of this that the Big Mom Pirates so desperately chase after the Straw Hats in the latter half of the arc instead of just cutting their losses after they managed to escape the castle. It was already bad enough that they publicly screwed up the Charlotte Family's plan to murder the Vinsmokes and then got closer to killing Big Mom than anyone had been in decades, but if they were to ''escape'' without facing suitable retribution, it would almost irreversibly damage the name of Big Mom and open up the crew and their territories to attacks from the other Emperors, the Marines (who notoriously refuse to challenge ''any'' Emperor seriously unless it's on their terms) or anyone with a bit of power. It's why they muster all the forces they can just to capture Luffy at Cacao Island and then actually barge onto Kaido' territory to pursue the Straw Hats in the next arc -- as embarrassing as it is to send so many against one man and his tiny crew, him escaping retribution would be ''worse''. And when they finally do escape almost unscathed after a lot of damage done, the main reason they don't take a giant hit to their reputation is that the whole mess was so outrageous (and the Emperor's reputation so carefully preserved up to that point) it instead massively improved Luffy's own, to the point he's thought to be in the same bracket as the Emperors now (much to Big Mom's displeasure)]].

[[caption-width-right:250:Nothing gets in the way of a politician's smile before a camera.[[note]]The above is a Photoshop of Tom [=DeLay's=] actual mugshot, altered to make it clearer that it's a mugshot -- the conviction was overturned in 2014 and he was cleared of all charges ([[TechnologyMarchesOn the placard went out of style in the '90s, since mugshots are now stored digitally and the name, date, and so on are now stored in the image's metadata]]).[[/note]]]]

Most {{Villains}} and {{Heroes}} catch onto their roles quickly -- one wants to TakeOverTheWorld, one wants to save it; one wants to KillAllHumans, one wants to protect them. But for all their differences, once they choose a side, they have the same problem: they're a [[TitleDrop Slave to Public Relations]].

To both {{Heroes}} and {{Villains}}, reputation is ''everything''. Actions don't determine your rep; rep controls your actions. If their reputation is ever at stake, they must act according to their role to reinforce their image.

** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Princess Celestia absolutely ''hates'' having to attend boring social events like the Grand Galloping Gala year after year[[note]] Granted, it's mostly due to the fact that before she can even attend the festivities herself, she has to shake hooves with and welcome every ''single'' '''guest''': most of whom are [[ProfessionalButtKisser hob-nobbing]] [[UpperClassTwit Unicorn Nobility]] that she already deals with nearly every other day in court[[/note]], but she does so since her subjects expect their ruler to attend. In general, nothing brings her more stress than having to constantly [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask maintain the air of a calm, confident ruler before her subjects]]. The Season 7 episode "A Royal Problem" partly deals with her envy over [[TheSacredDarkness her younger sister]] having the "easier" job of [[DreamWalker monitoring dreams]], confused why Luna would ever want to have her position.

->''"No, you need me. You wouldn't be much of a hero without a villain. And you do love being the hero, don't you? The cheering children, the swooning women. You love it so much it's made you my most reliable accomplice. … You could have crushed me anytime you wanted. And it wasn't the law or the will of the people that stopped you. It was your '''ego'''. Being a hero is too important to you."''
-->-- '''ComicBook/LexLuthor to Franchise/{{Superman}}''', ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E11And12ABetterWorld A Better World, Part 1]]"

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': Akira is an UnscrupulousHero type AntiHero and garners a ruthless reputation as TheDreaded in [[WrongSideOfTheTracks the slums]]. In fact, when supporting Sheryl as gang leader, right after first meeting with her gang, Akira basically asks her ‘how was my performance’? Indeed before that, instead of walking in with her when she proclaimed herself gang leader, Akira stalked outside to MakeAnExampleOfThem for the gang members who try to kill her in order to let his reputation keep her safe while he’s away working. Eventually Akira has a bit of a crisis when a KnowledgeBroker spreads a rumor about him being a PaperTiger due to his weak reaction to a pickpocket, which besides being stolen from triggering his TraumaButton, motivates him to get revenge no matter what to salvage his reputation.

* This is a major theme of ''Series/TheBoys''. Superheroes in this world are forced to present themselves as the kind of heroes that come from a more typical superhero setting. But what really makes them villains to an even greater degree than what they get up to behind closed doors, is that they are willing to sacrifice innocent lives or even commit murder to maintain their reputations.

* Amai Mask from ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'' is this, maintaining a [[HundredPercentAdorationRating perfect image]] with the public and brutally criticizing the other heroes who so much as mess up a little. Initially, it seems like this is just because he is a vain, shallow pretty boy; but later it is revealed that [[spoiler:he is doing this entirely out of pragmatic reasons; the Hero Association depends on donors and sponsors to keep running. Having heroes raise doubts in the public eye through their behavior could have far-reaching consequences.]] This is seemingly [[spoiler:proved right, as once some of the corruption and misanthropic behavior of some of the heroes is revealed, it severely weakens the Hero Association.]]

** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Princess Celestia absolutely ''hates'' having to attend boring social events like the Grand Galloping Gala year after year[[note]] Granted, its mostly due to the fact that before she can even attend the festivities herself: she has to shake hooves with and welcome every ''single'' '''guest''': most of whom are [[ProfessionalButtKisser hob-nobbing]] [[UpperClassTwit Unicorn Nobility]] that she already deals with nearly every other day in court[[/note]], but she does so since her subjects expect their ruler to attend. In general, nothing brings her more stress than having to constantly [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask maintain the air of a calm, confident ruler before her subjects]]. The Season 7 episode "A Royal Problem" partly deals with her envy over [[TheSacredDarkness her younger sister]] having the "easier" job of [[DreamWalker monitoring dreams]], confused why Luna would ever want to have her position.

* In ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' this trope is thoroughly mocked by Colonel Kurtz and is cited as a reason for why America is losing the Vietnam War. He admires the Vietnamese enemy for they were willing to do cruel things in order to win, regardless of the perceived immorality of their actions. The Vietnamese were willing to do whatever it took to win, with no method being too cruel or unsightly to achieve victory -- the Americans, by contrast, let judgment based on fighting a war "morally" defeat them.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns:'' The mayor insists on having a private meeting to negotiate with the Mutant Leader because the polls show that the people think he should, even though he is clearly terrified and not much of a negotiator. [[DeconstructedTrope It gets him killed.]]
* Briefly touched upon in ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'': the King and Duke want the people to be happy, and are well aware that a small kingdom like theirs is at a disadvantage compared to other nations. They agree to go along with Kit's idea of inviting commoners to the ball as a small PR boost, though they still encourage him to marry a princess.
* The main reason why Emperor Commodus doesn't simply have Maximus killed in the film ''Film/{{Gladiator}}''. Because the Romans love Maximus, his gladiatorial prowess, and his willingness to defy the Emperor, Commodus can't do anything overt without risking the loss of the popular support of the people.
* PlayedWith in ''Film/{{Hancock}}''. The eponymous superhero has a "devil-may-care" attitude when it comes to being a superhero, and often causes as much (if not more) damage than what he fixes while trying to help the citizens of Los Angeles, which has led to his terrible reputation. It takes an ordinary citizen (a PR executive who wants to help after Hancock saved his life) and an intensive "12-step program" (which includes admitting his past mistakes, voluntarily going to jail and adopting a new catchphrase) for Hancock to realize he can keep his good reputation if he plays by the rules and remains mindful of the environment he lives in.
* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': In-universe. Tributes must do several things during training and the actual game (impress the judges, achieve a high training score, make a good impression on Flickerman's show) in order to receive sponsorships and items to assist them. Katniss decides to play with the rules (via her training stunt where she shoots the apple out of a roast pig) and gets the highest Tribute ranking (11 out of 12) and more assistance during the game.

* In ''Film/MercenaryFighters'', an African nation wants to modernize by building a dam, but numerous local villages would be flooded out as a result. When the protagonist questions why they don't simply go ahead with their plan, the answer is "We can't! The press!" Instead, the government goes with the [[BlatantLies much more PR friendly route]] of ''hiring mercenaries to massacre said villages'' before proceeding. Just to further confound things, they outright ''mow down'' a British journalist in the process. So much for "the press" being an issue.
* This ends up kick-starting the plot of ''Film/MysteryMen''. With his world lacking a CardboardPrison and all his villains either locked-up, executed or reformed, Captain Amazing has fallen out of favor with the public and his sponsors, driving him to release his arch-enemy from prison to have a supervillain fight for the publicity.

* In ''Film/SchindlersList'', there's a scene where in order to tone down his sadistic cruelty, Schindler tries to sell Goeth on an {{ubermensch}} kind of idea that showing mercy is something the strong can do. As a result, Goeth spares a slave who had made a mistake. Then, he looks in the mirror and realizes he can't live with himself if he's not a murderous psychopath, and he goes back and kills the slave.
* ''Film/{{Stardust}}'': Captain Shakespeare works hard to maintain his reputation as a terribly fearsome pirate. When his CampGay secret finally comes out, his crew tells him they knew it all along.
** It should be noted that his fearsome act was more for his crew's benefit than his actual reputation. He wanted to be a high-class villain, showing mercy to Tristan while still doing a pirate's work, but his crew were more stereotypical and so maintained a rough-and-tumble attitude outside his quarters. His own name was for the pure personal enjoyment of hearing his crew cheer "Shakespeare! Shakespeare!", knowing they had no idea as to the writer the name alluded too, but enjoyed the passion that they put behind it.

* Taken as standard behaviour in Terry Pratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series; where Whitemailing-"Threatening to reveal a mobster's anonymous donations to charity", is listed as an Anti-crime alongside "Proffering with embarrassment" and "Breaking and redecorating."
** Come to that, just about every other thing in the Literature/{{Discworld}} seems to be affected by this trope in some way or another -- people's expectations and beliefs frequently affect, at the very least, the aspects of supernatural entities not affected by the morphic field attributed to [[AnthropomorphicPersonification being human-shaped]]: a mistake on the part of a very inept sculptor resulted in the Ephebian Goddess of Wisdom carrying around a penguin instead of an owl; an entire separate timespace exists so the Hogfather can deliver all his presents in a single night; and Death's domain has a black-on-black, skull-and-bones motif because, quite frankly, it's expected. Though he did add some wheatfields in the background after the events of ''Literature/ReaperMan'' to brighten the place up a bit.

* A very powerful recurrent theme in ''Literature/TheHungerGames.'' Katniss quickly becomes aware, before the Games begin, that if she makes herself into a memorable, likable persona, she'll be more likely to earn sponsors. The love story that she builds between herself and Peeta makes the ratings of the Games soar. This theme only gets stronger as the books go on: the fabricated [[spoiler: engagement, marriage, and expected child]] between her and Peeta is a dominating theme of ''Catching Fire,'' and it culminates in ''Mockingjay'' when [[spoiler:it is strongly implied that the rebels ''bomb a town square full of children'', in a hovercraft labeled as the Capitol, in order to convince everyone in the nation that the Capitol is evil.]] PR is possibly ''the'' most powerful weapon in ''The Hunger Games.''

* Brightlord Amaram in ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' is widely considered across Alethkar to be the perfect model of an honorable, disciplined noble general. After Kaladin accuses him of a serious crime, Adolin believes him after pointing out that a) Kaladin stepped in during a duel to save Adolin's life, when Amaram stepped back and said that infighting would only cause chaos, and b) another man famed for his honor, Adolin's father, has a blemished record, making Amaram's pristine reputation suspiciously clean. Adolin concludes that Amaram isn't truly honorable, he just spends a lot of time cleaning up his reputation.
** The crime in question? [[spoiler:Kaladin was a commoner soldier in his army who saved Amaram's life by killing a Shardbearer. Anyone who kills a Shardbearer is allowed to claim their priceless Shardblade, no matter their origins. Amaram instead took the Shardblade, set up false witnesses, and killed everyone else involved except for Kaladin, whom he sold into slavery. Amaram's justification was that a Shardblade would be wasted on a commoner who didn't know how to use a sword]].
* In ''Literature/{{Worm}}'', the Parahuman Response Team (PRT), the agency in charge of the government superhero teams, is extremely concerned about the image that the heroes show to the public. The steps they take for good PR include things such as ordering heroes to attend charity events, giving assistance to media that portrays powers in a positive light, and classifying information about a given hero's power if the full details would be something the general public finds disturbing. [[http://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/05/25/drone-23-1/ Chapter 23.1]] introduces Glenn Chambers, head of Image.
-->'''Hoyden:''' All Glenn cares about is the image, the PR. Up to you to figure out how to hold yourself like a 'lady' while you're dealing with street thugs with guns.
** Multiple layers of PR slavery as it turns out: Glenn himself is not stupid, he just knows that if anybody is going to [[spoiler:expose the corruption in the PRT]], they'll need public support. Which incidentally is something [[HorrifyingHero Taylor]] [[AntiHero has]] [[VillainProtagonist trouble]] [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant with]].
** The PRT was concerned about image because it wanted parahumans to be integrated into regular society, and thought that FantasticRacism against people with powers would lead to civil unrest and riots with superpowers that would tear apart society. Worm's sequel, ''Literature/{{Ward}}'', which is set after the collapse of the PRT, shows that these fears were well-grounded. Without the PRT, anti-parahuman sentiment is on the rise, with the protagonists' efforts to keep Earth Gimel safe being hampered by an increasing reluctance by civilians to cooperate with heroes.
** Played With when it comes to the villains. They must maintain a reputation of being formidable, so their underlings respect them and their enemies think twice about attacking them. The Undersiders, for example, do a lot what they do to maintain their Rep. But villains [[EvenEvilHasStandards can't have too nasty a reputation]], lest they cross [[GodzillaThreshold the fine line between "intimidating" and "dangerous"]]. Groups like the Slaughterhouse Nine, for instance, have gone so far over that line that heroes and villains will team up to deal with them when they come to town, and anyone who manages to kill one of them are simply thanked for their service by the PRT. In short, being a villain is a balancing act between this trope and GodzillaThreshold, with slip-ups having potentially disastrous results.
** [[spoiler:Lung]], arguably one of the most powerhuman parahumans portrayed in the serial, is this. A flashback interlude reveals he was present at [[spoiler:Kyushu when it was flooded and sunk]], having grown large enough to go toe-to-toe with Leviathan. It was only when he recognised that nobody was there to witness the fight that his power began to recede.

** As NYPD Commissioner, Frank Reagan does have to deal with this. Or more specifically, his Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Garrett Moore is. Garrett often has to give Frank advice that is sometimes frustrating, but in the end this is exactly why Frank trusts him so much: He's loyal, but he's not a yes-man, and will often remind Frank of how certain statements or actions will look to the general public outside the bubble of Frank's office.

* This is shown to be a pervasive problem in ''Series/{{Chernobyl}}'' among Soviet officials, as the party cultivates such culture. Admitting any fault is political (and, possibly, [[YouHaveFailedMe actual]]) suicide. Passing the buck is the normal way of doing things. This leads to numerous problems for the main characters, who are trying to stop a major disaster from getting even worse. In one case, Moscow spends months negotiating with West Germany for a robot that can withstand the official radiation level at Chernobyl (2000 roentgen). In fact, the real level is six times that amount, and the robot shuts down within ''seconds'', as no amount of shielding can protect the circuitry of anything more complicated than a light switch from such amounts of radiation. Scherbina loses it and curses out top party officials on a phone line he knows is being monitored by the KGB. As revealed during the trial, the two officials in charge of the power plant are only about promotions, so falsifying test results and avoiding looking bad are their top priorities. The same applies to Dyatlov, who browbeats his subordinates into causing the dangerous situation, also hoping for a promotion. Finally, Legasov accuses the entire Soviet state of this, revealing that a flaw had been discovered in RBMK reactor design that would result in FailsafeFailure if SCRAM was ever initiated during a runaway reaction, only to be suppressed by the government as it would make them look bad.

* In an episode of ''Series/HannahMontana'', Hannah appears multiple times on a morning TalkShow (a paper-thin parody of LiveWithRegisAndKathieLee) to be interviewed, and her every answer to a question leads to her fanbase slavishly imitating her, much to her embarrassment and annoyance. This leads Hannah to finally explain to the kids on the talk show that they [[BeYourself don't have to do anything or not do anything Hannah does just because she does or doesn't do it]].
* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': A very common trope for this show. The protagonists work for the Department of the Navy and although they are primarily concerned with the proper functioning of the military justice system, the overall PR and public opinion ramifications are never far away from their minds or actions. The news media, congressional people or other groups often play up various incidents. PR considerations are often hinted at by superiors (usually the SECNAV) and are often talked about behind closed doors (to avoid the appearance of unlawful command influence).
** The PilotMovie features an exchange between the CNO, Admiral Drake, and the JAG, Rear Admiral Brovo, where it's made clear that the mere appearance of things (the ongoing Seahawk murder investigation and an upcoming Navy strike mission) are more important to consider than the actual facts.
* This gets invoked several times in ''[[Series/LoisAndClark Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]''. The episode "Sex, Lies and Videotape" involves the villain trying to bring Superman down by... accusing him of sleeping with a married woman. Another episode, "Whine Whine Whine", involves Superman being sued for slightly injuring a man whose life he saved. With other people thinking this is a swell idea, Superman is stuck with hiring the only honest (if not particularly successful) lawyer in town, because his image and personal feelings prohibit him being represented by a slimeball.
* Played for several laughs in ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', most obvious in the "Reverend Al" episode, where Marcy single-handedly crushes Al's "Church of NO MA'AM" by showing the congregation pictures of Al and Peggy at her birthday, eating in a restaurant, watching a performance of ''Cats'' (with all the proceeds going to the Chicago ballet) and disappearing into a motel, all the while being [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther lovey-dovey]] with each other.
-->'''Marcy''': There you have it. Your leader. On a date! With his wife! Deeply in love!
-->'''Disgusted church visitor''': Reverend Al! Tell us you were with a hooker! Or at least a guy dressed like one.
-->'''Al''': I have sinned! ''crying'' I have consorted with my wife! ''people booing and leaving''.

* Exploiting this trope is how the titular character of USA Network's ''Series/{{Rush 2014}}'' makes his living as a doctor. His clients are primarily celebrities who for various PR reasons cannot go to the hospital and Dr. Rush makes house calls and is extremely discreet. A movie producer does not want the tabloids to know that he broke his penis while having sex so he offers Rush $40,000 to treat him. A star baseball player likes to beat up his girlfriends so Rush is called in to treat their injuries. When Rush finally has enough at the end of the pilot and beats the {{jerkass}} baseball player with a bat, the victim claims to have fallen down the stairs rather than let the cops and the public know what really happened.
* In ''Series/{{Scandal}}'' President Fitzgerald Grant is a Republican president with a rather liberal agenda which makes him disliked by plenty of people in both parties. The only way he can accomplish his goals is to maintain high public approval which means that his various sins and indiscretions have to be swept under the carpet. His public image of a devoted husband and family man requires him to hide the fact that he is in love with Olivia and he started to despise his wife.
* [[BigBad Dick Roman]] in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' is one. Having taken the identity of a CEO, Roman's one policy to his monster underlings is to stay off the news. Unfortunately, this backfires when Dean walks right up to him in public, [[BatmanGambit knowing that Roman will be unable to do anything]].

* In ''Series/TheWire'', the Baltimore Police Department are slaves to crime statistics, arrest rates and public opinion of their efficiency and the political power games involved in maintaining their image makes it near-impossible to do any meaningful investigation. Ineffectual investigation methods, charging major criminals with minor crimes, relegating prodigious detectives to meaningless posts, ignoring connections between drug dealers and politicians are all used to maintain the illusion of effectiveness. Similarly, the Drug Kingpins themselves are shown to be equally hamstrung by their need to be feared by competitors. Marlo Stanfield in particular seeks nothing more than to have a name that's known and feared in the streets of Baltimore, to the point of going ballistic for the one and only time in the series as soon as he hears it's being challenged.
** becomes a major concern in season 3 when Major Colvin [[spoiler: decriminalizes drugs in the towers, allowing drugs to be bought/sold there without incident. It makes a substantial reduction in crime in his area. When the bosses find out, they are torn between how to stop it without Colvin's actions becoming public knowledge, and without losing credit for the reduction in crime.]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Politics, dating, sports... Even in real life, a good reputation is really important. However, we don't want examples; it would only be asking for trouble, [[SkewedPriorities and more importantly]], we don't want this section to be larger than the rest of the wiki.
** A common problem with wars throughout history, but especially a problem in the modern era. The 24-hour news cycle combined with the phenomenon of Internet social media has made the public backlash to war more important than ever because the means by which war and its architects can be criticized with modern technology is greater than ever before in human history. If a war is deemed too costly to continue, too immoral, or if it was done for the wrong reasons -- the public will let you know so fast that your head will spin.
* Pretty much why [[TurnTheOtherCheek Nonviolent Resistance]] and protests work today in the modern era thanks to the press being widely available where it's most important for governments and other organizations to protect their image and reputation.
[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/CiaphasCain'': Cain quite literally [[AccidentalHero blundered]] his way into becoming a [[FakeUltimateHero HERO OF THE IMPERIUM]], a reputation that [[DirtyCoward he could do well enough without]] when it ends up [[ReassignmentBackfire getting him into trouble]] (as it almost inevitably always does). However, as running away at the first opportunity would disgrace him in the eyes of his followers and cost him the benefits of said reputation (as well as possibly his life), he is often forced to act against his own self-preservation instincts in order to keep up appearances. The possibility that Cain simply doesn't give himself enough credit is also left open.

* ''VideoGame/{{Ultrakill}}'': [[KnightTemplar Gabriel]] is one of, if not ''[[TheAce the]]'' [[TheParagon most respected and feared]] [[OurAngelsAreDifferent archangel]] in service to the Holy Council as an agent of [[{{God}} the Father's]] divine will. A veteran of countless battles, Gabriel has never lost a fight or failed a mission. That is, [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable until he's defeated]] by [[KillerRobot V1]] while he's rampaging in Hell. This single blemish in his otherwise perfect record is enough for the Council to cast doubts upon his loyalty and brand him a heretic since, by their own logic, he couldn't possibly be defeated by a machine, a "mere object", unless he deliberately threw the fight. Being empowered by the Father's Holy Light, to even imply that he could still be defeated is considered a blasphemy. The Council then rips out the Holy Light from Gabriel and grants him 24 hours to correct his "mistake" by killing V1.
** Interestingly, Gabriel is still massively popular among the rest of the angels, who otherwise fear the dogmatic Council. It's implied that the Council is as strict as it is in an effort to hide the fact that [[spoiler:not only do they not have any actual power, but also that GodIsDead. Once Gabriel realizes these things [[CharacterDevelopment after taking some time to think about the meaning of his defeats at the hands of V1]], he promptly slaughters the Council and holds the severed head of a councillor for his fellow angels to see in order to show them they have nothing to fear]].

* In ''Videogame/AlphaProtocol'' during the mission in Taiwan the President will only take measures to prevent his assassination or prevent a riot with sufficient evidence if given evidence for one. If evidence for the other can't be provided than he won't put on a bulletproof vest in fear of looking weak or increase his security detail in fear of looking like a tyrant. He also won't outright cancel his rally since he states that it would damage his reputation.

** This is sometimes exploited by foes of the movement, who may place agents of their own in a crowd of protestors in order to incite violence. This tarnishes the group's reputation and serves as justification for harsh crackdowns and mass arrests against them.
* This is actually what the concept of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor honor]] used to mean, and what it still means in many cultures. Being "honorable" meant that one had a reputation for trustworthiness, reliability, and fair treatment of others, [[HonorBeforeReason even if others might see it as putting yourself at a disadvantage]].
[[/folder]]