ˈhatchet ˌjob noun [countable] British English informal
a newspaper article, television programme etc that criticizes someone severely and unfairly
hatchet job on
They were afraid I was going to do a hatchet job on them.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

hatchet job
[informal]
strong and unfair criticism of someone or something, especially on television or in a newspaper.
She did a real hatchet job on his latest novel in one of the Sunday papers.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

hatchet job
n. phr., slang
1. The act of saying or writing terrible things about someone or something, usually on behalf of one's boss or organization.
When Phil makes speeches against the competition exaggerating their weaknesses, he is doing the hatchet job on behalf of our president.
2. A ruthless, wholesale job of editing a script whereby entire paragraphs or pages are omitted.
Don, my editor, did a hatchet job on my new novel.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲