Which advanced persuasive technique involves blaming the messenger?

• A. Ad hominem
• B. Red herring
• C. Shoot messenger
• D. Straw man

Answer: (C)

This is about a persuasion tactic that discredits the information by attacking the person who delivers it rather than addressing the message itself. When someone uses this approach, they try to shift the audience’s focus from what’s being said to who said it, hoping the audience will doubt the message because of the messenger.

That’s why the phrase shoot the messenger fits best: it’s the idiom that names this exact tactic—blaming the messenger to avoid engaging with the content. Ad hominem is a broader personal attack on a person behind an argument, not specifically targeting the delivery of the information. Red herring distracts with something irrelevant to steer away from the issue, and a straw man misrepresents an argument to make it easier to attack.